How 'weight stigma' affects people dealing with obesity

According to the World Health Organization 25 billion adults aged 18 years and older were overweight in 2022 including over 890 million adults who were living with obesityObesity gives rise to several health complications but some people living with the condition also face another challenge ndash the stigma that is associated with being overweight Stemming from oversimplified notions of health and personal responsibility weight stigma is fuelled by the assumption that obesity is merely a consequence of poor lifestyle choicesHowever that is far from trueDr Aparna Govil Bhasker Consultant Bariatric and Laparoscopic Surgeon MetaHeal Surgery Center and Saifee Apollo and Namaha Hospitals Mumbai explains ldquoSociety often reduces obesity to a simplistic equation eat less move more But if that were true obesity would have disappeared long ago Obesity is a complex chronic and progressive disease influenced by genetics metabolism hormones medications gut microbiota mental health and environmental factors Stress sleep deprivation and medical conditions all contribute making weight management far more than just a matter of will powerrdquoAlso ReadExperts back PM Narendra Modis call for fighting obesity say excess body weight can cause health complicationsBurden of judgementFor many people the judgement they face regarding their weight is more distressing than the physical challenges of obesity itselfDr Bhasker reveals ldquoOne of my patients a 32yearold working mother of a 16monthold baby girl struggled with persistent weight stigma despite her best efforts She had tried everythingmdashcalorie counting portion control intermittent fasting medical diets naturopathymdashonly to be met with the same assumptions and comments she must be eating too much she must not be trying hard enough it must be her faultrdquoldquoHer life was a relentless cycle of responsibilitiesmdashjuggling work home and motherhood leaving her exhausted beyond measure She wanted to prioritise her health but struggled to find the time and energyrdquo she further sharesIgnoring all other factors people cling to the narrative of personal failure when it comes to obesityldquoA patient once recalled how in a single day eight different people commented on her weight That night she couldnrsquot sleepmdashnot because of hunger or discomfort but because their cruel words replayed over and over in her mind louder than any diagnosis she had ever receivedrdquo shares Dr BhaskerSharing another case the doctor says ldquoAnother patient shared the pain of childhood ridicule They called me a hathi elephant Even after losing 50 kg the stigma did not disappearmdashit merely changed form from fat shaming to skinny shamingrdquoHarms of weight stigmaWhen individuals repeatedly hear that their weight defines their worth they begin to believe it ldquoThey may blame themselves for their struggles experience deepseated shame and develop unhealthy coping mechanisms Some avoid social interactions or medical care altogether fearing judgment and humiliation The stigma becomes a selffulfilling prophecymdashpushing them into isolation reducing selfesteem and making sustainable health changes even harder to achieverdquo Dr Bhasker expressesCalling for a change she says ldquoWeight stigma needs to be addressed at multiple levelsmdashthrough education policy changes and a cultural shift in how we view health and body diversity One of the most powerful things we can do is to acknowledge that the struggles of people living with obesity are real to let them know that their worth is not defined by a number on the scale Because sometimes the heaviest burden is not the body itself but the weight of societyrsquos judgmentrdquoAlso ReadFrom 156 kg to 87 kg How this Mumbaibased Parsi couple beat obesity to lead healthy lives again