Discriminating against obese 'doesn't help weight loss'

[Jazzy]

Making people feel ashamed about obesity could lead them to gain weight, not lose it, suggests University College London.

In a study of nearly 3,000 adults over four years, those who said they had experienced weight discrimination put on more weight than those who did not.

Researchers said there was no evidence discrimination caused weight gain, but it could lead to comfort eating.

Health professionals were urged to be more supportive.

The study, in the journal Obesity, looked at data from adults aged over 50 ranging from normal weight to obese who had taken part in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing.

They were asked if they had experienced day-to-day discrimination that they believed to be connected to their weight.

Examples of discrimination included being treated disrespectfully, receiving poor service in shops and being harassed.

One in 20 reported weight discrimination, and in the morbidly obese group one in three reported discrimination.

Men and women reported similar levels of weight discrimination.

Counterproductive
Over the four-year period, on average, people in all weight groups who said they had experienced these negative attitudes put on nearly 1kg - just over 2lb.

Those who did not typically lost 0.7kg.

The researchers say this suggests that blaming and shaming people for being overweight is counterproductive.

Source

Do you think making people feel ashamed about obesity could lead them to gain weight, not lose it? Why / Why not?

 

[Dee]

Making people feel ashamed about obesity could lead them to gain weight, not lose it, suggests University College London.

In a study of nearly 3,000 adults over four years, those who said they had experienced weight discrimination put on more weight than those who did not.

Researchers said there was no evidence discrimination caused weight gain, but it could lead to comfort eating.

Health professionals were urged to be more supportive.

The study, in the journal Obesity, looked at data from adults aged over 50 ranging from normal weight to obese who had taken part in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing.

They were asked if they had experienced day-to-day discrimination that they believed to be connected to their weight.

Examples of discrimination included being treated disrespectfully, receiving poor service in shops and being harassed.

One in 20 reported weight discrimination, and in the morbidly obese group one in three reported discrimination.

Men and women reported similar levels of weight discrimination.

Counterproductive
Over the four-year period, on average, people in all weight groups who said they had experienced these negative attitudes put on nearly 1kg - just over 2lb.

Those who did not typically lost 0.7kg.

The researchers say this suggests that blaming and shaming people for being overweight is counterproductive.

Source

Do you think making people feel ashamed about obesity could lead them to gain weight, not lose it? Why / Why not?

It's like asking, why would you not humiliate a child in front of a classroom of peers for doing the problem wrong, not understanding it, or just disciplining them for something they need help with to achieve? Humiliation can work at times, but when a person is living day to day being called and considered fat, ugly, disgusting, lazy and much, much more by society and even their own family, I'm sure, they're not going to feel good about wanting to get healthy and look and feel good about themselves.

That doesn't mean that we can't bring the situation to light. This is a matter of how to approach them with an issue they quite obviously already know exists. Being proactive and concerned about health is number one. Approach them from a way that will get them motivated to want to make a change. Don't humiliate someone, regardless of what the issue is. Chances are, it'll backfire.