How Do We Recognize Weight Bias?

Many women exercise to lose weight, whether it is that stubbornly persisting "quarantine 15" or the extra pounds from a summer holiday. Exercise is also, indeed, considered an excellent tool for weight loss for the overweight and obese to prevent related costly illnesses. Exercise, thus, is prescribed to reduce any body size. Researchers, nevertheless, point out that a sole focus on weight loss can lead to weight bias and stigma that discourages, instead of motivates, many individuals to exercise.

Alberga and colleagues (2016) define weight bias as “negative weight-related attitudes, beliefs, assumptions and judgments toward individuals who are overweight and obese” (p. 1). They are quick to point out that individuals with low weight are also targets of weight bias, because body size is visible and, thus, easy to judge. Both overweight and underweight individuals have been shamed for their weight. Weight bias can lead to eating disorders when individuals have internalized the belief that they deserve to be shamed because they think they are overweight. As a result, they develop an intense fear of being fat. This means that anyone can be affected by weight bias when obsessively driving for the ideal, thin body.

A Manifestation of Social Inequity

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Alberga and colleagues further point out that shaming does not motivate people to lose weight and leads to anxiety, stress, depression, and low self-esteem instead of improved health. As such, the researchers conclude, weight bias is a manifestation of social inequity that rewards people with small body sizes and excludes people with large bodies. They even argue that weight bias is a socially acceptable form of prejudice. In Canada, for example, race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age, or mental or physical disability are protected in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, but weight is not.

If weight bias potentially causes ill health, not only to exercisers with large bodies but to all exercisers, it is important to find ways to reduce the bias to make fitness inclusive for everyone who wishes to improve their wellness. Based on the research findings, this can work through two ways: (1) raising awareness of weight bias and stigma and their negative health consequences and (2) changing the exercise practices that result from weight bias and stigma.

Awareness of Weight Bias and Stigma

A positive and inclusive approach to exercise requires an awareness of weight bias and stigma. One way to gain this awareness is to learn from the ones stigmatized by weight bias.

Some researchers have looked at large women’s experiences of weight bias and the resulting stigma in exercise and fitness to see how we can become more aware of their impacts. It is clear that shaming creates embarrassment, fear, and anxiety about physical activity participation instead of inspiration to take part in exercise. For example, when Wittels and Mansfield (2021) interviewed exercisers in a 12-week public health weight loss course in Britain, they found that many avoided physical activity considering that being "fat" meant they were perceived to be physically incapable of exercise.

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In their study, Myre, Glenn, and Berry (2021) interviewed 16 women aged between 20 and 59 years who self-identified as obese and had varying levels of physical activity at the time of the interview. All participants experienced weight stigma—"negative labels, stereotypes, and discrimination based on the perception of excess body weight”—in their exercise settings: They often felt uncomfortable, self-conscious, embarrassed, looked at, and judged. The researchers found that the women worried about humiliation or negative treatment when physically active.

The participants considered the promotion of weight loss as a positive outcome of exercise and wanted to change their bodies, yet the sole emphasis on having to lose weight also stigmatized them. When they believed that their bodies needed to be "fixed" and that they deserved to be shamed because of their size, they had internalized the weight bias themselves. The weight stigma had negative consequences as it limited the participants’ exercise choices and caused anxiety and fear of being judged in public.

One woman explained:

For a long time, I exercised at home, not because that’s where I wanted to or what I liked the most, but because I didn’t have to worry about other people, you know staring at me or making comments, or those sorts of things being part of my experience of trying to exercise more. (p. 595)

As a consequence, Wittels and Mansfield advocate that physical activity for all sizes cannot be based on the bias that people with large size bodies are lazy, incapable, or unattractive. They should not be considered abnormal, but, rather, the normality of the lean body ideal should be questioned. Instead of moral judgment, Alberga and colleagues suggest that we move from a weight-centric approach to consider other reasons to exercise. They emphasize that while excess weight can produce negative physical health consequences, the psychological and emotional harm of weight bias creates significant health risks including eating disorders.

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Wittels and Mansfield also stress that the weight loss models of physical activity have been ineffective despite their emphasis on the health benefits of exercise. Although comments about weight loss improving both health and appearance are well-meaning, they can unwittingly promote weight bias when thinness becomes the beauty norm. This perpetuates the obsession with slenderness that can then result in unhealthy eating patterns. While researchers have solicited large women’s experiences, anyone who is obsessed with exercising solely for a thinner body may have internalized weight bias. It is important, therefore, to find alternative ways to promote physical activity.

Healthier Lifestyle and Enjoyment as Goals

Instead of weight loss as the necessary final outcome, Wittels and Mansfield suggest a healthier lifestyle as a goal for all exercisers. For example, one participant in their study found reassurance that “even if you don’t lose (weight) it doesn’t matter, as long as you’re making your style, lifestyle, healthier by doing a bit of exercise” crucial to her continued exercise participation (p. 352). Wittels and Mansfield further advocate pleasure and enjoyment as a more effective exercise goal than the duty to lose weight. As one participant explained:

If you don’t look forward to it, then you just don’t go because you don’t go just for fitness...then you know if it’s fun, then...you don’t clock watch, you have a really good time and have fun and think afterwards, oh that’s exhausting but good. (p. 353)

The feelings of joy, excitement, and happiness were further linked to a sense of confidence, achievement, and success.

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One participant enjoyed being able to do fun things that get “you moving...you are not scared...I enjoyed it” (p. 354). Success and enjoyment also inspired the participants to continue exercising regularly. Again, not only large exercisers, but all of us can reconsider weight loss as a goal and exercise as a laborious means for it. Instead, we may think of what is it about exercise that we enjoy. Can we find joy during exercise and not only when it is over?

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Making exercise enjoyable can mean offering diverse sets of exercise practices. Participants in Myre, Glenn, and Berry’s study wanted to be consulted concerning their exercise preferences, not simply to be given prescribed standardized workouts. Wittels and Mansfield found dance as one possible physical activity preferred by their participants over regular gym exercises. Anyone could try to spice up their exercise routines with such alternatives as exercising outdoors or indeed, dancing, instead of the usual gym workouts.

Furthermore, the women in Myre, Glenn, and Berry’s study looked for exercise modifications that were designed for their bodies. Such modifications should also be available in any session for diverse groups of exercisers, and well-qualified instructors should always offer exercise choices to suit different bodies.

While these suggestions of reducing weight bias and the resulting stigma focus on changing individual exercisers’ experiences, the researchers emphasize that weight bias is a manifestation of larger social inequality. Different body sizes are treated differently and not equally in exercise settings: Some are stigmatized, judged, and even excluded. The researchers call for moving from individual blaming and shaming to a critical look at the obsession with thinness in fitness. We need to continue to question the thin and toned fit body ideal—in itself an abnormal body shape—as the sole measure for feminine beauty or health. As weight bias affects women of all body sizes who obsess about exercising for weight loss, often failing in their task and gaining only low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, and body dissatisfaction, it is important to constantly question weight bias for everyone’s improved wellness in more-inclusive exercise settings.