"Weight stigma is endemic in healthcare and interferes with delivery of equitable, evidence- based care. Weight stigma (and other forms of prejudice) is also linked to worse health outcomes in its own right.

Self-stigma among higher-weight individuals is also strongly linked with worse health outcomes through a range of psychological, physical, and behavioural mechanisms.

Public health messaging perpetuates and promotes weight stigma. A weight-neutral approach is needed both in public health policy and in individual healthcare. Accordingly, changes are needed in healthcare training and delivery."

A #WeightStigma Doctor, a social impact entrepreneur and a National Ob*sity Forum (historically funded by d!et, surgery and drug companies, and now a defunct charity and business) all walk into an inquiry...

06:00 - The last 30 years of no progress
11:15  - How widespread is weight discrimination?
14:45 - WMS are not evidence based or ethical
17:48 - The £Money spent Apr/Dec2021 updated statistics HERE
26:55 - Weighing kids is problematic
28:00 - Causing more harm than good
30:28 - Nutriri has an idea
33:00 - Duty of Care, what next?

Conclusion: "The weight-normative approach is not improving health for the majority of individuals across the entire weight continuum. Weight is overemphasized for higher-weight individuals (i.e., assumptions are made that they are unhealthy) and underemphasized for lower- or “average-” weight individuals (i.e., assumptions are made that they are healthy). Furthermore, we know that weight loss through dieting is not sustainable over time for the vast majority of higher-weight individuals and is linked to harmful consequences. Therefore, we argue that it is unethical to continue to prescribe weight loss to patients and communities as a pathway to health, knowing the associated outcomes—weight regain (if weight is even lost) and weight cycling—are connected to further stigmatization, poor health, and well-being. The data suggest that a different approach is needed to foster physical health and well-being within our patients and communities.

Advocates of a weight-inclusive approach assert that we are acting on behalf of our patients' and communities' interests when we centralize health for people at all points along the weight continuum and work to eradicate weight stigma in all settings, including health care and public health. This paper has reviewed the data in support of a weight-inclusive approach to foster physical and psychological well-being. We encourage both scholars and practitioners to study and document what happens when health professionals and their target populations shift their focus to developing sustainable healthy behaviors for every body." 2014 Tylka et al.

Abstract "Weight bias is a widespread form of prejudice that leads to the stigmatization of individuals who are perceived to have excess weight. Several psychological theories have been used to explain weight bias and to understand its negative impact on the mental and physical health of individuals with overweight and obesity. Top-down approaches are needed to reduce weight stigma and its adverse health consequences at the population-level. Potential targets for stigma-reduction policies include weight-based discrimination in the workplace, bullying and discrimination in educational settings, stigma in health care, and stereotypical media portrayals. These proposed policies have strong support from the public and stakeholders and, with further implementation and evaluation, may serve as promising structural interventions for addressing societal weight stigma." 2018 Rebecca L. Pearl

Lifestyle Habits and Mortality in Overweight Individuals "Background: Though the benefits of healthy lifestyle choices are well-established among the general population, less is known about how developing and adhering to healthy lifestyle habits benefits obese versus normal weight or overweight individuals. The purpose of this study was to determine the association between healthy lifestyle habits (eating 5 or more fruits and vegetables daily, exercising regularly, consuming alcohol in moderation, and not smoking) and mortality in a large, population-based sample stratified by body mass index (BMI).

Methods: We examined the association between healthy lifestyle habits and mortality in a sample of 11,761 men and women from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III; subjects were ages 21 and older and fell at various points along the BMI scale, from normal weight to obese. Subjects were enrolled between October 1988 and October 1994 and were followed for an average of 170 months.

Results: After multivariable adjustment for age, sex, race, education, and marital status, the hazard ratios (95% CIs) for all-cause mortality for individuals who adhered to 0, 1, 2, or 3 healthy habits were 3.27 (2.36 – 4.54), 2.59 (2.06 –3.25), 1.74 (1.51–2.02), and 1.29 (1.09 –1.53), respectively, relative to individuals who adhered to all 4 healthy habits. When stratified into normal weight, overweight, and obese groups, all groups benefited from the adoption of healthy habits, with the greatest benefit seen within the obese group.

Conclusions: Healthy lifestyle habits are associated with a significant decrease in mortality regardless of baseline body mass index." 2012 Matheson et al.