{"id":158744,"date":"2020-03-04T07:52:45","date_gmt":"2020-03-04T12:52:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/?p=158744"},"modified":"2020-03-03T14:40:19","modified_gmt":"2020-03-03T19:40:19","slug":"scientific-community-pledges-end-obesity-stigma","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/2020\/03\/scientific-community-pledges-end-obesity-stigma\/","title":{"rendered":"Scientific Community Pledges to End Obesity Stigma"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Coinciding with World Obesity Day, over 100 medical and scientific organizations have today pledged their support for a consensus statement that recognizes unscientific public narratives of obesity as a major cause of weight stigma and calls for strong policies and legislation to prevent weight-based discrimination. <\/span><\/p>\n

In a paper published this week in Nature Medicine<\/a>, a team of experts incluiding <\/span>Rebecca Puhl, <\/span>Deputy Director of the UConn Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity<\/span>, <\/span>outline a joint international consensus statement and a related\u00a0Pledge to Eradicate Weight Stigma. The statement was developed through\u00a0an international conference jointly organised by <\/span>the <\/span>World Obesity Federation, American Diabetes Association<\/span><\/span>, <\/span>American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists<\/span><\/span>,<\/span> American Association for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery<\/span><\/span>, <\/span>Diabetes UK<\/span><\/span>, <\/span>European Association for the Study of Obesity<\/span><\/span>, <\/span>International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders<\/span><\/span>, <\/span>Obesity Action Coalition<\/span><\/span>, <\/span>Obesity Canada, and The Obesity Society<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWeight stigma occurs in almost every aspect of our society, including the health care setting,\u201d said Puhl<\/span>. \u201cI<\/span>t is critical that efforts to address this problem\u00a0include support and action from the medical community.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Previous evidence indicates that weight stigma can cause both physical and psychological harm, and that affected individuals are less likely to seek and receive adequate care. Often perceived as lazy, gluttonous, lacking will power and self-discipline, people with obesity are vulnerable to stigma and discrimination in the workplace, education, and in health care settings. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWeight stigma is a public health problem, undermines human and social rights and is a major stumbling block in the fight against the epidemic of obesity,\u201d said lead author Professor Francesco Rubino, Chair of Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery at King\u2019s College London<\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe objective of this initiative was to gather a broad group of experts and scientific organisations and, for the first time, speak with one voice to unambiguously condemn weight stigma and expose the misconceptions that contribute to weight bias,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Main issues discussed in the statement include:<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n