Overweight people humiliated, insulted and ignored on a regular basis

Overweight people humiliated, insulted and ignored on a regular basis

New research shows that two fifths of overweight people experience some form of judgement, criticism or humiliation at least once-a-week.

People who are overweight are frequently insulted by shop assistants, ignored by bar staff, left out by friends, mocked by passers-by, ridiculed by the opposite sex and photographed by teenagers as part of a widespread culture of discrimination that not only causes people to feel depressed and ashamed, but can lead to comfort eating, causing a vicious cycle. A study of 2,573 people who have lost weight reveals the extent to which people are treated differently depending purely on their size. In modern times we do not discriminate against people due to race or gender, but why do we still let it happen when it is associated with a person’s weight?

Professor James Stubbs, Chair of Behaviour Change and Weight Management at the University of Derby and Senior Research Specialist for Slimming World is calling for more understanding and sympathy for overweight people to prevent the cycle of shame and weight gain that undermines many weight loss attempts. 29 year old Sam Akerman also tells us about her amazing weight loss journey and how discrimination led to her gaining weight before she went on to lose more than 6 stone due to health reasons.

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