The Impact of Weight Stigma on Mental Health

Tuesday, February 09, 2021

by Shira Collings

I am an eating disorder therapist in training with my own experiences of recovery from an eating disorder. The topic of eating disorders is very important to me both personally and professionally. I am thrilled to help raise awareness about this issue during National Eating Disorders Awareness Week in February.

There are a variety of factors that contribute to the development of eating disorders. One of the most well-known and researched contributing factors to disordered eating is weight stigma. Weight stigma is the prejudice and discrimination that occurs based on one’s body size.

As a society, we tend to reward thinness and chastise higher weights. We assume that thinness is an indicator of health, wellness, self-discipline, hard work, and good character. We also assume that higher weight means poor health, lack of self-discipline, laziness, excessive eating, and poor exercise habits. This leads to people in larger bodies often facing stereotypes and microaggressions. They also experience higher rates of hiring and workplace discrimination, income differences, and mistreatment in medical settings.

This bigotry has a harmful impact on the mental and physical health of higher weight people. The stress of being in a marginalized group can lead to:

• Depression,
• Anxiety,
• Low self-esteem,
• Suicidal thoughts,
• Heart problems,
• High blood pressure,

and more. Many higher weight individuals also avoid seeking medical care due to fears of being shamed. For these reasons, researchers theorize that weight stigma is likely more dangerous to our health than being at a higher weight.

Our society’s judgments and prejudices about body size can play a major role in our relationships with food and body. Worrying about weight and body size is a main element of many eating disorders, including Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, and Binge Eating Disorder. Many people engage in disordered eating behaviors to attempt to alter the size of their body to conform to societal ideals. These behaviors can include:

• Skipping meals and fasting;
• Purging and vomiting;
• Smoking cigarettes;
• Taking diet pills and laxatives; and
• Exercising compulsively.

One study showed that over one-half of teenage girls and nearly one-third of teenage boys use these risky behaviors to control their weight. These concerns often persist well into adulthood.

I am a person with thin privilege, which means that I do not face discrimination based on my body size. However, I have personally experienced some of the negative costs of society’s harmful messaging around weight and body size. In the past, I have been terrified of experiencing some of the social consequences and societal judgments that can result from weight gain. This led me to engage in disordered behaviors to attempt to control my weight. My intense body dissatisfaction also played a role in other mental health issues, including depression and anxiety. My behaviors affected my ability to focus on other areas of my life and be present for my friends, family, school, and work.

Having thin privilege meant that these behaviors were eventually recognized as disordered. At first, I was praised and complimented for weight loss. Ultimately, people around me felt that I had taken things too far and encouraged me to seek help. I was able to receive therapy and dietary counseling, which helped me to develop a more positive relationship with my body and with all foods.

Unfortunately, many people in larger bodies who are struggling with the same symptoms and behaviors that I struggled with are not recognized as having eating disorders. A common stereotype is that a higher weight is always due to excessive eating. Because of that, many believe it is not possible for people in larger bodies to struggle with eating disorders. It is also a misconception that weight loss is always positive and healthy. That often leads to higher weight people being praised for their weight loss and encouraged to continue the disordered behaviors that led to it. Many eating disorder therapists have pointed out that the same behaviors that are diagnosed as Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa in thin people are often prescribed to people in larger bodies.

It is important to me to advocate for a world in which all people are provided the help and support they need to have a healthy relationship with food, exercise, and their bodies. One approach that many professionals have adopted with this purpose in mind is the Health At Every Size (HAES) paradigm. HAES focuses on helping people develop a positive relationship with all foods. They eat for both pleasure and nutritional needs, rather than pursuing weight loss. HAES recognizes that a variety of factors influence health, including:

• socioeconomic status;
• social exclusion and social connectedness; and
• emotional well-being;

and that body size does not determine one’s health status.

Disability Rights Florida’s upcoming webinar will:

• Provide detailed information about weight stigma and its impact on mental health;
• Focus on disordered eating;
• Deliver techniques that you can use to learn how to improve your own relationships with food and your body; and
• Show you how to advocate for a world that is inclusive and welcoming to people of all sizes.

We hope you will join us - Register for "The Impact of Weight Stigma on Mental Health" webinar!