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Weight bias and stigmatisation: what is it and what can we do about it?

Weight bias has been described as the last acceptable form of prejudice. When translated to the consultation room it becomes a health threat in itself, risking inequality of care and hindering the intervention and adherence efforts of both physicians and patients.

In the 2015 BMJ article entitled ‘Why there’s no point telling me to lose weight’, a patient criticises GPs’ preoccupation with body weight over concurrent health issues in consultations. The author asserts, ‘my GP … sees me as a fat person first and an individual second’ .1 Indeed, studies have proven weight bias, both implicit and enacted, to be rife in healthcare settings. To optimise patient care, it is important to understand the barriers to quality health care posed by implicit physician attitudes and to look towards solutions.

Studies show that patients with higher BMIs are less respected than patients with a healthy weight, and …