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Review
. 2022 Oct;23(10):e13494.
doi: 10.1111/obr.13494. Epub 2022 Aug 7.

Effective strategies in ending weight stigma in healthcare

Britta Talumaa  1 , Adrian Brown  1   2   3   4 , Rachel L Batterham  1   2   3   4 , Anastasia Z Kalea  1   5
Affiliations
Review

Effective strategies in ending weight stigma in healthcare

Britta Talumaa et al. Obes Rev. 2022 Oct.

Abstract

Weight stigma impacts negatively healthcare quality and hinders public health goals. The aim of this review was to identify strategies for minimizing weight bias among healthcare professionals and explore future research directions. An electronic search was performed in PubMed, PsycINFO and Scopus (until June 2020). Studies on weight stigma reduction in healthcare students, trainees and professionals were assessed based on specific inclusion and exclusion criteria. A narrative synthesis was undertaken to analyze emerging themes. We identified five stigma reduction strategies in healthcare: (i) increased education, (ii) causal information and controllability, (iii) empathy evoking, (iv) weight-inclusive approach, and (v) mixed methodology. Weight stigma needs to be addressed early on and continuously throughout healthcare education and practice, by teaching the genetic and socioenvironmental determinants of weight, and explicitly discussing the sources, impact and implications of stigma. There is a need to move away from a solely weight-centric approach to healthcare to a health-focused weight-inclusive one. Assessing the effects of weight stigma in epidemiological research is equally important. The ethical argument and evidence base for the need to reduce weight stigma in healthcare and beyond is strong. Although evidence on long-term stigma reduction is emerging, precautionary action is needed.

Keywords: healthcare professionals; obesity stigma; weight bias.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors of this manuscript certify that they comply with the ethical guidelines for authorship and publishing in the Obesity Reviews. This scoping review is based on published data and does not contain sensitive clinical study or patient data. RLB reports receiving consulting fees from Pfizer, Eli‐Lilly, Gila Therapeutics Inc., and ViiV Healthcare and consulting fees, lecture fees from Novo Nordisk and participating in clinical trials for Novo Nordisk. AB reports receiving consulting and lecture fees from Novo Nordisk outside the submitted work; and is the Vice Chair of Specialist Obesity Group of the BDA, and on the Medical Advisory Board and shareholder of Reset Health Clinics Ltd.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Flow diagram of studies retrieved and included in the scoping review
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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