Weight Bias
Despite increased attention to the obesity epidemic, little has been done to stop the bias and discrimination that obese children and adults face every day. The social consequences of obesity include discrimination in employment, barriers in education, biased attitudes from health care professionals, stereotypes in the media, and stigma in interpersonal relationships. All these factors reduce quality of life for vast numbers of overweight and obese people and have both immediate and long-term consequences for their emotional and physical health.
The Rudd Center aims to stop the stigma through research, education, and advocacy. We’re working to draw attention to weight bias and develop strategies to address the issue with various groups, including young people, families, teachers, employers, and health care professionals.
For more information on issues related to weight bias, please browse our Weight Bias Topics. Our site also provides comprehensive lists of research articles, research tools, and Power Point presentations for educators, students, and researchers who are interested in studying weight bias. In addition, we offer tools for health professionals, educators, parents and youth who want to learn more about weight bias and take action to combat this problem. All the materials on this site may be downloaded for free.