A recent study from my friend John Dixon and his colleagues in Australia looked at patients’ perceptions about weight-related stigma and discrimination. There were 2 small groups; one group of 8 obese women who had not had surgery and another group of 24 subjects who had gastric bands.
During seven group sessions the women were asked to consider their experiences in various situations including everyday activities, family, friends, work place, medical and educational settings. The results showed that study subjects perceived discrimination and stigmatisation in many life situations – although less so than in some earlier reports.
It also appeared that it was not the frequency or number of events which affected an individual but the intensity of the experience. Younger women reported greater discrimination than older women and felt the social consequences of obesity to a greater extent. Older women were more concerned about the health consequences of being overweight. Interestingly, women who had lost weight considered that aspects of their own behaviour (when they were obese) contributed to their experiences of discrimination and stigmatisation.
I'd love to know what you think. Click here to email your thoughts
Dr David Ashton
29th June 2010
