About this Research Topic
The past thirty years have seen a rapid global increase in public discussion regarding people's body weight. Weight stigma has increased concurrently, with far-ranging impacts on individuals and systems. Weight stigma entails discrimination based on weight, with larger-bodied people bearing the brunt of this discrimination. In health services, weight stigma can lead to delayed care, misdiagnosis, increased costs, overmedicalization, treatment denial, prolonged illness or injury, and poor relationships between service users and providers, all of which can lead to or exacerbate negative mental health impacts. More weight-inclusive approaches are emerging, such as the American Medical Association’s recent statement cautioning against using BMI as the sole indicator of health. However, steps towards weight-inclusive public health and health service provision remain nominal. The recent approval in some countries of GLP-1 agonists for weight loss has demonstrated that the health services sector continues to focus on weight loss, often neglecting the mental health impacts of such an approach.
This Research Topic is focused on the mental health impact of weight stigma. Mental health encompasses a range of states and conditions, including mental wellbeing, mental health problems, mental illness, and mental health disorders. We invite high-quality submissions that examine lived experiences, predictors, mediators, and moderators of weight stigma and its mental health consequences. We also welcome submissions exploring the development, implementation, and/or evaluation of initiatives to reduce weight stigma and its mental health consequences at the intrapersonal, interpersonal, intersectional, institutional, or ideological levels. For example, such initiatives may include government or organizational policies, health service provider professional education, technologically based actions such as biofeedback and machine learning, or any other initiative designed to reduce weight stigma and its impact on mental health. Lastly, we encourage submissions that explore weight-inclusive approaches to mental health care. We invite scholars from any field of study to submit manuscripts focusing on any of these aspects related to weight stigma and its impact on mental health. Such disciplines may include but are not limited to anthropology, business studies, communications, cultural studies, disability studies, economics, education, environmental health, gender studies, law, media, medicine, nutrition, nursing, philosophy, physical therapy, political science, psychiatry, psychology, public health, sociology, social work, sports and exercise science, etc.
We recommend authors familiarize themselves with the article by Meadows & Daníelsdóttir (2016) What’s in a Word? On weight stigma and terminology, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01527, for guidelines on weight-inclusive language. The authors conclude that “all labels reflect culturally constructed values,” and what is important is that we “use language that affirms the respect and human dignity” of those about whom we speak and does “not perpetuate the stigma” (p. 3). The authors suggest that neutral terms, such as “weight” and “higher weight” are likely to be “suitable in the majority of situations” (p. 3), with pathologizing labels such as overw*ight and ob*se discouraged. We encourage authors submitting manuscripts to this Research Topic to adopt the principle of using language that affirms respect and human dignity of people in all sized bodies including those with larger bodies. Within the dominant biomedical health paradigm, the term "mental health" often implicitly refers to mental health problems or mental illness. Regarding mental health, we request that authors be clear about which aspect/s is being discussed: mental wellbeing, mental health problems, mental illness, and/or mental health disorders.
Topic Editor D. Catherine Walker is the sole proprietor of the private practice D. Catherine Walker, Ph.D., Psychology PLLC. The other Topic Editors declare no competing interests with regard to the Research Topic subject.
This Research Topic is focused on the mental health impact of weight stigma. Mental health encompasses a range of states and conditions, including mental wellbeing, mental health problems, mental illness, and mental health disorders. We invite high-quality submissions that examine lived experiences, predictors, mediators, and moderators of weight stigma and its mental health consequences. We also welcome submissions exploring the development, implementation, and/or evaluation of initiatives to reduce weight stigma and its mental health consequences at the intrapersonal, interpersonal, intersectional, institutional, or ideological levels. For example, such initiatives may include government or organizational policies, health service provider professional education, technologically based actions such as biofeedback and machine learning, or any other initiative designed to reduce weight stigma and its impact on mental health. Lastly, we encourage submissions that explore weight-inclusive approaches to mental health care. We invite scholars from any field of study to submit manuscripts focusing on any of these aspects related to weight stigma and its impact on mental health. Such disciplines may include but are not limited to anthropology, business studies, communications, cultural studies, disability studies, economics, education, environmental health, gender studies, law, media, medicine, nutrition, nursing, philosophy, physical therapy, political science, psychiatry, psychology, public health, sociology, social work, sports and exercise science, etc.
We recommend authors familiarize themselves with the article by Meadows & Daníelsdóttir (2016) What’s in a Word? On weight stigma and terminology, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01527, for guidelines on weight-inclusive language. The authors conclude that “all labels reflect culturally constructed values,” and what is important is that we “use language that affirms the respect and human dignity” of those about whom we speak and does “not perpetuate the stigma” (p. 3). The authors suggest that neutral terms, such as “weight” and “higher weight” are likely to be “suitable in the majority of situations” (p. 3), with pathologizing labels such as overw*ight and ob*se discouraged. We encourage authors submitting manuscripts to this Research Topic to adopt the principle of using language that affirms respect and human dignity of people in all sized bodies including those with larger bodies. Within the dominant biomedical health paradigm, the term "mental health" often implicitly refers to mental health problems or mental illness. Regarding mental health, we request that authors be clear about which aspect/s is being discussed: mental wellbeing, mental health problems, mental illness, and/or mental health disorders.
Topic Editor D. Catherine Walker is the sole proprietor of the private practice D. Catherine Walker, Ph.D., Psychology PLLC. The other Topic Editors declare no competing interests with regard to the Research Topic subject.
Keywords: Stigma, weight
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