Oral Presentation Australian & New Zealand Obesity Society 2015 Annual Scientific Meeting

Consequences of weight-related stigma (#18)

Kerry O'Brien 1
  1. Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

As global rates of overweight and obesity continue to rise, there is an acknowledgment that prejudice and discrimination against those who are perceived to be ‘Fat’ (Anti-fat prejudice; Obesity Stigma) is increasing. Interpersonal stigma has been found to have negative social, economic, psychological, and health outcomes for those who are stigmatised based on their perceived weight status. Stigma is a strong psychosocial stressor leading to often chronic release of cortisol and then other hormonal cascades that are linked eating, weight gain, and accumulation of visceral fat. In this talk I present some new cross-sectional research on the relationship between stigmatisation (teasing about weight), stress, anxiety, depression, weight-bias internalisation, body image, and a range of negative health-related behavioural outcomes, such as, emotional eating, loss of control over eating, and avoidance of physical activity.