Associations among enacted weight stigma, weight self-stigma, and multiple physical health outcomes, healthcare utilization, and selected health behaviors

Abstract

Background: This study examined the relationship among enacted weight stigma, weight self-stigma, and multiple health outcomes. Weight stigma, a stressor experienced across all body sizes, may contribute to poorer physical health outcomes by activating the nervous and endocrine system or by triggering counterproductive health behaviors like lower physical activity, maladaptive eating patterns, and delayed health care, as well as provider bias that may cause a medical concern to be discounted. While associations of weight stigma with mental health issues are well documented, less is known about its association with physical health.

Methods: We enrolled 3821 adults who completed an online survey assessing enacted weight stigma, weight self-stigma, multiple self-reported physical health outcomes, healthcare utilization, and selected health behaviors.

Results: After controlling for BMI, health care delay or avoidance, sedentary behavior, and selected demographic characteristics, enacted weight stigma, significantly increased the odds of six physical health problems including hypertension (OR 1.36; CI 1.08, 1.72), hyperglycemia (OR 1.73; CI 1.29, 2.31), thyroid disorder, (OR 1.65; CI 1.27, 2.13), any arthritis (OR 1.70; CI 1.27, 2.26), non-arthritic chronic pain (OR 1.76; CI 1.4, 2.29), and infertility (OR 1.53; CI 1.14, 2.05). Weight self-stigma significantly increased the odds for three physical health problems including hypertension (OR 1.43; CI 1.16, 1.76), hyperglycemia (OR 1.37; CI 1.03, 1.81), and non-arthritic chronic pain (OR 1.5; CI 1.2,1.87). Enacted stigma was associated with more than a four-fold increase in odds of believing that a medical concern was disregarded by a health care provider.

Conclusions: In this study, enacted stigma and weight self-stigma were independently associated with heightened risk for multiple physical health problems, as well as, believing health concerns were discounted by providers. Reducing weight stigma may be an important component of managing multiple physical health conditions.