The Stigma of Obesity: Identifying Stigmatizing Groups

Given the high number of people living with obesity, obesity must be considered a worldwide health issue. Apart from physiological impairments and co-morbid diseases, obesity has also a negative impact on the psychological well-being of those concerned. People with obesity are negatively affected on the social level due to obesity-related stigmatization. Up to this date, the understanding of stigma in the previous research has been limited by neglecting the sociological perspective and thus key questions such as by whom stigma is created and imparted and to what extent the socioeconomic status (SES) determines weight bias. Identifying stigmatizing groups and addressing the sociological dimensions of stigma research could not only contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of stigma but might also improve the development of effective interventions. The general aim of this dissertation project was therefore to identify social groups that stigmatize and discriminate against people with obesity. Within the systematic literature review (Bernard et al., 2019a) a comprehensive summary of published literature targeting the association between weight bias and SES in the general population was provided. The first empirical study (Bernard et al., 2019b) provided data from Germany focusing on weight bias in the form of non-altruistic behavior in a one-on-one situation. The second empirical study (Bernard et al., 2019c) investigated in contrast weight bias on a more structural level. The results of the systematic review and both empirical studies are discussed with respect to theoretical approaches, cultural and governmental structures, and methodological shortcomings. This work provides thus a) theoretical implications as potential orientation for further research and b) methodological implications with regard to the assessment of weight bias