Mistreatment due to weight: Prevalence and sources of perceived mistreatment in women and men

Objective: Previous research has documented prejudicial attitudes and discr imination against overweight people. Yet the extent to which overweight peo ple themselves perceive that they have been mistreated because of their wei ght has not been carefully studied. The purpose of this study was to examin e the prevalence of perceived mistreatment due to weight and sources of per ceived mistreatment. Methods and Procedures: A non-clinical sample of healthy adults (187 men an d 800 women) enrolled in a weight gain prevention program comprised the stu dy population. A self-administered questionnaire was used to measure percei ved mistreatment due to weight. Results: Overall, 22% of women and 17% of men reported weight-related mistr eatment. The most commonly reported sources of mistreatment among women wer e strangers (12.5%) and a spouse or loved one (11.9%). Men were most likely to report mistreatment by a spouse or loved one (10.2%) and friends (7.5%) . Somewhat surprisingly, sex differences in perceived weight-related mistre atment were significant only for stranger as the source. Perceived weight-r elated mistreatment was positively associated with body mass index (BMI) (r = 0.39, p<0.0001). Reported mistreatment was nearly ten times as prevalent among individuals in the highest quartile of the BMI distribution (42.5%) than among those in the lowest BMI quartile (5.7%), but was significantly g reater than zero in all but the very lean. Discussion: Perceived mistreatment due to weight is a common experience and is not restricted to the morbidly obese. Results are discussed in light of the sociocultural value for thinness.