Understanding weight stigmatization: A focus group study

Objective: The purpose of this research was to investigate, in a nonclinica l sample of adults, thoughts on and experiences with weight stigmatization. Design: Focus groups were used to collect information. Participants were re cruited through a newspaper advertisment and flyers posted in public places in Minneapolis and St. Paul. During the focus groups, participants were le d in a discussion about their thoughts on weight stigmatization and persona l experiences of being treated differently or poorly because Of their weigh t. Subjects: Six gender-specific focus groups consisted of 31 adult volunteers (17 women and 14 men). Variable Measured: Perceptions of weight-based stereotypes and weight stigm atization and personal reports or having been treated differently or poorly owing to weight were measured. Results: Participants reported a variety of experiences of being treated di fferently or poorly because of their weight. These included teasing, harass ment, slurs and insults, negative judgments and assumptions, and perceived discrimination. Participants reported that such experiences occurred at hom e, among friends and strangers, at work, and in health care settings. Women reported a greater number and a greater variety of negative experiences th an men. Implications: The results indicated that participants experienced weight-ba sed stigmatization in many aspects of their lives. Awareness of these exper iences may assist in the development of treatments for overweight individua ls.