Does Size Matter? Reflections on Weight Based Stigma and Discrimination

Dr. Michelle Neyman Morris 
Faculty, Nutrition & Food Science Department, 
CSU, Chico 

Dr. Michelle Morris calls dieting “a national pastime,” and points out that the weight-loss market is worth $61 billion annually and that the #1 New Year’s Resolution, according to the New York Times, is to lose weight. Dr. Morris expresses concern about the pitfalls of a health paradigm that is focused on losing weight, as a person’s physical, social, and economic environments can all contribute to health problems. Not only that, but obese people face some of the same elements of oppression that other marginalized groups face, including threats of violence, blaming the victim, stereotyping, cruel jokes, and workplace discrimination. Numerous negative media images, especially those that depict weight gain as a character defect, further the stigma faced by people who are considered “overweight.” 

Recorded: November 4, 2015