Survey Finds Weight Stigma Still Shapes the Weight Loss Experience

Results from a recent Everyday Health survey indicate that many people living with excess weight feel ashamed of their bodies and do not feel well supported while trying to lose weight.

The Effects of Weight Stigma

The survey found that 62 percent of respondents often felt embarrassed or self-conscious about their bodies. Those feelings showed up in several ways:

• 57 percent said they felt discouraged about losing weight.
• 50 percent said others treated them differently and they felt judged.
• 42 percent avoided social situations.
• 32 percent felt they lacked support from others.

“These numbers mirror what I hear from my patients,” says Ivania Rizo, MD, an endocrinologist, director of obesity medicine at Boston Medical Center, and a spokesperson for the Obesity Society. “Feeling judged and embarrassed about our bodies isn’t rare or unusual. It’s one of the most common experiences among people living with excess weight.”

Reema Dbouk, MD, an assistant professor at Emory University in Atlanta and a spokesperson for the Obesity Society, says people with obesity are often unfairly viewed as lazy, unmotivated, or lacking willpower. In reality, she says, obesity is a complex, chronic disease shaped by many factors, including biology, genetics, environment, medications, sleep, and stress.

Dbouk says this stigma can reduce quality of life by fueling isolation and causing people to miss out on opportunities. Rizo adds that it may also raise the risk of depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem.

“When people feel ashamed about their bodies, they often eat more, avoid exercise, and put off medical care,” Rizo says, adding that these patterns can have lasting health consequences.