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. 2021 Aug;290(2):416-420.
doi: 10.1111/joim.13270. Epub 2021 Mar 6.

Is obesity a manifestation of systemic racism? A ten-point strategy for study and intervention

D G Aaron  1 , F C Stanford  2
Affiliations

Is obesity a manifestation of systemic racism? A ten-point strategy for study and intervention

D G Aaron et al. J Intern Med. 2021 Aug.

Abstract

In the recent past, there has been rising attention to systemic racism. The ensuing discussions have largely focused on COVID-19 and policing. Despite long-standing disparities in obesity across racial and ethnic groups and obesity's important role in COVID-19 disparities, there has been minimal attention to whether obesity itself could be a manifestation of systemic racism. Nor has there been serious policy attention dedicated to alleviating obesity and its disproportionate burden on BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color). We discuss whether obesity's disproportionate harms to BIPOC may be attributed to systemic racism, and we provide a ten-point strategy for studying and solving the core public health issues at the intersection of obesity and systemic racism.

Keywords: BIPOC; COVID-19; health inequity; health policy; obesity; systemic racism.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest

The authors report no potential competing interests.

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