Bias & Stigma

Bias & Stigma2026-08-11T18:43:51-04:00

PRIORITY #4

Decrease bias, stigma and weight-related discrimination among researchers, clinicians, policymakers, and the public

Weight bias—explicit and implicit—remains a pervasive barrier that harms physical and psychological health.¹,² It manifests across interpersonal, institutional, and structural levels, discouraging care-seeking and worsening mental and physical health outcomes. In healthcare settings, bias contributes to avoidance, truncated visits, and inappropriate counseling.³ Training students and clinicians to use people-first language and implement bias-reduction education improves trust and care quality.⁴ 

  1. Weight bias, stigma, and discrimination are harmful. People with obesity often face stigma and bias which can manifest as discrimination. Discrimination can affect self-esteem and/or access to quality healthcare. Every person deserves appropriate treatment regardless of body size. The decision to seek treatment for obesity is a personal one, and a person’s choice should be respected.5
  2. Weight bias and stigma harm the physical and mental health of individuals. This leads to unnecessary barriers and obstacles to care that impact access to and quality of healthcare overall.
  3. Education and improved awareness across all disciplines regarding obesity as a chronic disease and the harm of explicit and implicit bias can lead to improvements in the delivery of care and individual engagement.
  4. Policies should protect individuals from discrimination based on body size in all social, professional, and educational settings.
  5. Representations of people with overweight or obesity in the media should be respectful and avoid stigmatizing stereotypes.
  6. The routine use of person-first, patient-centered language is recommended in all settings in which obesity and metabolic health are discussed, including clinical care, documentation, research, publication, media representation, and public policy. Language should reflect scientific accuracy, respect for individuals, patient preferences, and a commitment to reducing weight stigma. Clinicians, medical journals, and professional organizations have an important role in upholding these standards. Previously used discriminatory language should not be thoughtlessly quoted or carried forward into future discussions or publications on obesity.
  7. Pharmacologic therapies used to treat obesity should be referenced as obesity medications. The term ‘anti-obesity medications’ is discouraged, as it perpetuates stigmatizing and adversarial framing inconsistent with the chronic disease model of obesity. Obesity Management Medications is an acceptable alternative; however, the term “management” is not used for most chronic disease medication references.

  • Mandate person-first, non-stigmatizing language across education, government, healthcare, professional conferences and events, and media.
  • Require bias-reduction education and accountability in clinical settings.
  • Include stigma-sensitive outcomes (e.g., patient experience) in quality metrics.
  • Ensure equitable access to evidence-based obesity care to reduce structural bias.
  • Support policies to protect individuals from discrimination based on body size in all social, professional, and educational settings across the lifespan.
  • Support efforts to reduce internalized weight bias in all settings.

  1. Puhl RM, Himmelstein MS. Obesity. 2023;31:1234–1242.
  2. Phelan SM et al. Int J Obes. 2015;39:562–570.
  3. Pearl RL et al. Obesity. 2018;26:634–641.
  4. The Obesity Society. End Weight Stigma Campaign. 2024.
  5. International Obesity Collaborate Consensus Statement Obesity Care vs. Weight Loss. (n.d.). https://www.obesity.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/IOC-Consensus-Statement-Obesity-Care-vs.-Weight-Loss.pdf

Explore our latest efforts to expand access to evidence-based obesity care and remove barriers to treatment.

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The Obesity Society
9211 Corporate Boulevard, Suite 250
Rockville, MD 20850
Phone: (301) 563-6526
Email: [email protected]

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