The Negative Impact of Fat Shaming
“If you really want change to happen, if you really want to ‘help’ fat people, you need to understand that shaming an already-shamed population is, well, shameful.”
The other day, I woke to a Facebook post about a series of billboards that recently went up in my hometown of Marion, Ohio. I thought they were a joke, so I drove around Marion looking to see if they were actually real. Unfortunately, they were. Here are two of them:
These billboards were put up by a group called Pioneering Healthier Communities, a local nonprofit organization in Marion that is part of a larger state initiative. They are repulsive examples of fat shaming and stigmatizing those who are fat. Why are they fat shaming? Fat shaming is defined as "the act of publicly criticizing someone for being too fat." Not only is it fat shaming, but it also presents no solution to fight obesity, or childhood obesity, and some have no information at all. Instead, it causes a divide between those who are perceived as healthy and those who are not.
In an interview with a local online news organization, one member of the committee responded this way:
“The billboards went up and definitely struck a nerve...We certainly didn’t set out to offend people. Obesity is a really bad health problem – worse than people realize. So we wanted to grab attention in an effort to get these startling statistics to sink in, and point people toward helpful solutions on our new website....We hope the passion people have expressed regarding the boards will move them to action in improving our children’s health."
Obesity is a bad health problem, as stated above. However, neither of the children depicted in these photos are obese. Also, how does it reflect the community's views as a whole when a group trying to make positive changes need to "grab attention" in this way?
While many Marion residents were just as angry and disgusted as I was about the billboards, some of the Facebook comments show why this community is ignorant about the right way to fight obesity, and show why this is the way some thought this was an okay way to go about it:
"Why does everyone else want someone else to solve their problems.....if these billboards offend you, then take a look at yourself and fix it."
"I guess I dont see what's so upsetting about it. We are a fat nation, and need to take responsibility for that. If you think it's fat shaming, congratulations, they've reached their target audience."
"You can't choose to be short or tall. However like it or not. Being fat is a choice. And its an unhealthy one at that."
These types of sentiments show why fat shaming can be prevalent in a society that is so politically correct about other differences. Race, gender, sexual orientation (to most) is not considered a choice. People perceive being fat as unhealthy and as being a choice. That is why, in their minds, fat shaming is okay. However, time and again, studies have shown that fat shaming does not work.
So, why does fat shaming not work? It should be just the "kick in the pants" and shock value that fat people need to get active, right? Not so. Many experts believe that fat shaming is not only ineffective, but will also contribute to a bigger health crisis in the future.
According to a blog by Traci Stein, PhD, MPH on Psychology Today:
"Overweight individuals are frequently stereotyped as lazy, unsuccessful, or having inadequate self-control, and stigmatization can come from both strangers and those close to the individual. Frequently, the overweight are targets of hypercritical comments, discrimination, and bullying. Weight-based discrimination has serious consequences, however, including lower self-esteem, depression, decreased life-satisfaction, and poorer physical health. Furthermore, weight stigmatization has been linked to problematic eating behaviors, including binge eating, as well as avoidance of exercise – all of which increase the risk of obesity."
An analysis by National Obesity Observatory in 2011 showed that"Weight stigma increases vulnerability to depression, low self-esteem, poor body image, maladaptive eating behaviours, and exercise avoidance."
Another study by The Center for Advancing Health found that teens who are overweight are more likely to attempt suicide:
"Hatim Omar, M.D., chief of the Division of Adolescent Medicine at the University of Kentucky, said his own experience has led him to believe that perceived obesity does increase both depression and suicide risk. “Teens are vulnerable because of their development and any actual or perceived changes in their lives, including weight issues, can potentially increase the risk of depression or suicide,” he said."
Another article states that fat shaming leads to more public health issues, not less:
“Making people feel bad about their weight can backfire,” Janet Tomiyama, an assistant psychology professor at UCLA and the senior author of the new study, explained. “It can be demoralizing. And we know that when people feel bad, they often reach out to food for comfort.”
Tomiyama’s study isn’t the only evidence of this dynamic. Previous research has found that “fat-shaming,” or the practice of ostracizing people for their body size, often ends up leading them to gain more weight. This is often exacerbated by the messages that Americans pick up in the media’s coverage of the national obesity epidemic. Alarmist news stories that present overweight individuals in an overly negative light can backfire by fueling emotional eating, too."
Professor Brenda Major, a psychology professor with UC Santa Barbara stated in an article for Science 2.0, "Many people who are overweight feel helpless to control their weight," she continued. "Our study illustrates that articles and ads about the obesity epidemic that imply it's just a matter of self-control can make overweight people feel even more helpless and out of control of their eating."
Dr. Jane Wardle, director of the Cancer Research UK Health Behaviour Centre at University College London, summed it up best in a press release following her study, "Our study clearly shows that weight discrimination is part of the obesity problem and not the solution. Many obese patients report being treated disrespectfully by doctors because of their weight. Everyone, including doctors, should stop blaming and shaming people for their weight and offer support, and where appropriate, treatment."
That is kind of the point, right? Those who need to lose weight need to be offered support and positive motivation. They do not need to be made to feel worse about themselves. I am a fat woman, and you know what I do when I start to feel bad about myself? I eat. It is one of my triggers. I try to remain positive as much as possible, and that move toward positivity has effected my life, and my weight in a positive way as well.
Just remember: The narrative shouldn't be thin vs fat, it should be a narrative of health for everyone, despite their size or appearance.
