I admit that I’m not the most sensitive cat when it comes to weight issues, but I had not idea that size prejudice was as prevalent as it is. According to a Yale University study, it’s about as common as racial prejudice. But then, that comparison makes me nervous; if it’s being compared to race, that seems to suggest that some of the same “solutions” to racial problems may be put into place to dissuade size prejudice.
New Haven, Conn.—Discrimination against overweight people—particularly women—is as common as racial discrimination, according to a study by the Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity at Yale University.
“These results show the need to treat weight discrimination as a legitimate form of prejudice, comparable to other characteristics like race or gender that already receive legal protection,” said Rebecca Puhl, research scientist and lead author.
The study documented the prevalence of self-reported weight discrimination and compared it to experiences of discrimination based on race and gender among a nationally representative sample of adults aged 25- to 74-years-old. The data was obtained from the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States.
The study also revealed that women are twice as likely as men to report weight discrimination and that weight discrimination in the workplace and interpersonal mistreatment due to obesity is common.
The researchers found that men are not at serious risk for weight bias until their body mass index (BMI) reaches 35 or higher, while women begin experiencing a notable increase in weight discrimination risk at a BMI level of 27. BMI is the measure of body fat based on height and weight.
Co-author Tatiana Andreyava of Yale said weight discrimination is more prevalent than discrimination based on sexual orientation, nationality/ethnicity, physical disability, and religious beliefs. “However, despite its high prevalence, it continues to remain socially acceptable,” she said.
It’s been said that teasing fat people is the last acceptable prejudice. I don’t know about all that, but I do know that there are definitely some issues that need to be parsed when it comes to weight and size. Since this is based on self-reported instances of bias, I don’t think the results can necessarily be taken as definitive, but they do seem to suggest that there is a high level of disrespect. However, I also wonder how much the degree to which people’s belief that they are being discriminated against because of their size correlates to the degree to which that person is uncomfortable with his or her own size. I also wonder what the lowest BMI was of a person who felt discriminated against. Finally, given the wide variety of body types that can occupy a given BMI, I wonder if there were certain builds that got more discrimination than others.
Jacked from Evangelical Outpost
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