Understanding Weight Bias and Stigma—and How They Impact Your Health

If you've ever felt judged or dismissed because of your body size, you're not alone. Many people in larger bodies face unfair treatment—not just in society, but even in health care settings. This is called weight bias and weight stigma, and it can have real consequences for your physical and emotional health.

What Are Weight Bias and Stigma?

• Weight bias means holding negative beliefs or stereotypes about someone because of their weight.
• Weight stigma goes further—it’s when people are treated unfairly or devalued because of their body size.

These attitudes can show up in subtle ways, like being blamed for health issues without proper evaluation, or more overtly, like being teased, excluded, or discriminated against.

It Starts Early—and It Hurts
Children in larger bodies are more likely to be bullied or left out socially. These experiences can lead to anxiety, depression, and even chronic health problems later in life—similar to other types of childhood trauma.

Adults aren’t immune either. Studies show that people who experience weight discrimination often have higher levels of stress hormones, more inflammation, and even shorter life expectancy compared to those who don’t face this kind of bias—even if they have the same body size.

How It Affects Your Relationship with Food and Movement
Feeling judged for your weight or body size can make it harder to feel safe and supported when making health changes. It can lead to:

• Emotional eating or binge eating
• Avoiding physical activity
• Distrust in health care providers

Unfortunately, even well-meaning professionals sometimes focus too much on weight, overlooking other important factors that affect your health.

What You Deserve from Health Care
You deserve care that sees you as a whole person—not just a number on a scale. That means:

• Being listened to without judgment
• Having your symptoms taken seriously
• Exploring your health goals beyond weight

Some dietitians and doctors may still hold outdated beliefs, like thinking weight is entirely within your control or that not losing weight is a personal failure. These views are not only inaccurate—they’re harmful.

A Better Way to Approach Your Health
Instead of focusing only on weight, you can work with your provider to set goals that truly matter to you. If both you and your health care provider recognize that the actual role of weight, independent from other factors, is often unclear, you can opt for clearer, more realistic, and more achievable goals instead. For example:

• Feeling more energetic
• Reducing pain or medication use
• Improving sleep or mood
• Living longer and feeling better

Once those goals are clear, you can track progress in meaningful ways:

• Lab tests to monitor blood sugar or nutrient levels
• Journaling your energy, mood, or pain
• Measuring strength or endurance

These are real, achievable steps that support your health—regardless of your body size.

Erica Golden, RDN, IFNCP

Erica is a registered dietitian nutritionist who is passionate about trauma-informed, weight-neutral, holistic care.
​Interested in working with her? Schedule a discovery call.
Health care professional looking to learn more about trauma-informed care? Check out her upcoming book, An Integrative Nutrition Approach to Trauma-Informed Counseling, available soon through Skelly Skills.

References:

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• Sutin, A. R., Stephan, Y., & Terracciano, A. (2015). Weight Discrimination and Risk of Mortality. Psychological science, 26(11), 1803–1811. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797615601103
• Levinson, J. A., Clifford, D., Laing, E. M., Harris, C. L., Slagel, N., Squires, N. D., Hunger, J. M. (2024). Weight-Inclusive Approaches to Nutrition and Dietetics: A Needed Paradigm Shift. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 56-(12), 923-930. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneb.2024.07.007 
• Nagy, A., McMahon, A., Tapsell, L., & Deane, F. (2022). The therapeutic relationship between a client and dietitian: A systematic integrative review of empirical literature. Nutrition & dietetics : the journal of the Dietitians Association of Australia, 79(3), 303–348. https://doi.org/10.1111/1747-0080.12723
• Diversi, T. M., Hughes, R., Burke, K. J. (2016). The prevalence and practice impact of weight bias amongst Australian dietitians. Obesity Science & Practice, 4. 456-465. https://doi.org/10.1002/osp4.83 
• Brown, A., & Flint, S. W. (2024). 'My words would have more weight': exploring weight stigma in UK dietetic practice and dietitian's lived experiences of weight stigma. Journal of human nutrition and dietetics : the official journal of the British Dietetic Association, 37(5), 1143–1158. https://doi.org/10.1111/jhn.13337