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Mental & Social Health

Weight stigma

Negative attitudes, stereotypes, and discrimination directed at people because of their body weight, including within healthcare.

By the glp1.how editorial teamReviewed

Weight stigma refers to negative attitudes, stereotypes, and discrimination directed at people because of their body weight. It shows up in workplaces, schools, media, relationships, and in healthcare settings, where it can shape how patients are spoken to and treated.

Research links weight stigma to worse mental and physical health that is independent of body weight itself (Tomiyama et al., 2018 (external link)), and it can make people less likely to seek care. Recognizing it is part of why many clinicians emphasize respectful, non-judgmental language when discussing weight and treatment. See weight stigma in healthcare settings. An international consensus statement concludes that weight stigma can cause physical and psychological harm and that people affected by it are less likely to receive adequate care (Rubino et al., 2020 (external link)).

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Revision history

Updated 3 times since Jul 18, 2026 · show changes
  1. v4

    Body revised

  2. v3

    Body revised

  3. v2

    Body revised

  4. v1

    Change tracking began

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