People with obesity commonly face a pervasive, resilient form of social stigma. They are often subject to discrimination in the
workplace as well as in educational and healthcare settings. Research indicates that weight stigma can cause physical and psychological
harm, and that affected individuals are less likely to receive adequate care. For these reasons, weight stigma damages
health, undermines human and social rights, and is unacceptable in modern societies. To inform healthcare professionals,
policymakers, and the public about this issue, a multidisciplinary group of international experts, including representatives of
scientific organizations, reviewed available evidence on the causes and harms of weight stigma and, using a modified Delphi
process, developed a joint consensus statement with recommendations to eliminate weight bias. Academic institutions, professional
organizations, media, public-health authorities, and governments should encourage education about weight stigma to
facilitate a new public narrative about obesity, coherent with modern scientific knowledge.
Read the full joint statement here
