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Weight bias is common and people affected by overweight or obesity often feel stigmatized and may be reluctant to talk about their weight. Depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem are common comorbid conditions and can further complicate the development of therapeutic relationships (Obesity Action Coalition [OAC], 2016).
There’s a stigma not just around obesity itself, but also around seeking help for it. So, in that first conversation, we need to normalize it—let patients know it’s okay to ask for help and that we’re here to support them, not judge them.
If patients perceive that health care providers have negative attitudes about their weight, it can influence their willingness to seek care. Addressing unrecognized internal biases about weight and correcting outdated assumptions about obesity among providers and office or clinic staff are critical to providing quality care for people with obesity and overweight.
A big one, for I think all providers, is just making sure we look at our own biases we might have against or any stigmas we might have and including those of the staff. And that can change how we treat patients if we're not aware of those...once we're aware of those and can deal with any of those stigmas or biases we might have, we want to make sure we're recognizing obesity as a disease.
Health care providers and staff members can assess their own biases by asking themselves these questions (OAC, 2025):
Information about weight bias and how to counter it is available from the Obesity Action Coalition, including:
A GSA Momentum Discussion Podcast episode, Combating Bias to Promote Comprehensive Obesity Care for Older Adults. In this podcast, Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford discusses and shares powerful examples of how weight bias exists in health care and steps that providers and others can take to address it.
Reflections of My Weight Journey with Joe Sapone and Advocating for Science-Based Person-Centered Obesity Care: A Conversation with Ted Kyle. In these Momentum Discussion Podcast episodes, Mr. Sapone and Mr. Kyle share how they have encountered weight stigma and bias throughout their lives.
The University of Connecticut Center for Food Policy & Health is a useful resource for health professionals, with online summaries on weight bias and stigma, needed changes in the office or clinic for patients with high body weight and examples of scripts for motivational interviewing, as well as other resources.
Articles on the National Council on Aging website discuss the effects of weight bias and stigma on people with obesity and policy options for improving obesity care in older adults.
We hope the Obesity Bill of Rights will empower people to seek the care they deserve without stigma or judgment... so when they go to see their doctors, they have the Bill of Rights and can feel empowered.
Recognize Obesity as a Disease in Need of Treatment | Assess for the Presence of Bias and Work to Address It | Seek Resources and Continuing Education | The 6 As Approach to Weight Management | Become Familiar with Principles of Readiness to Change | Consider Motivational Interviewing Strategies | Identify Opportunities for Reimbursement | Practice Management References