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Weight stigma in obese can make weight loss even more difficult, says study
Posted on: 06/Feb/2017 10:42:29 AM
A new study conducted by researchers from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia has said that obese people who feel stigmatized about their size are not only more likely to struggle with weight loss, they`re also more likely to develop cardiovascular disease and metabolic disorders. The study was published in the journal Obesity.
Say the researchers, In many cultures, people who are obese are viewed as stereotypically lazy, lacking in willpower, incompetent, unattractive and personally responsible for their excess weight. These negative beliefs, known as weight bias, can cause obese people to experience discrimination, which is in turn associated with an increased risk of internalizing disorders like depression, anxiety and low self-esteem, previous research has found. In this study, participants who internalized weight-related stigma were 41 percent more likely to experience metabolic syndrome than people who didn`t internalize stigma very much, after accounting for depression and the degree of obesity. Experiencing weight stigma can elicit a physiological stress response, marked by elevated blood pressure and inflammation, and it`s possible that self-directed weight stigma may be a form of chronic stress as well. Individuals who internalize weight bias may also engage in unhealthy behaviors to cope with this stress – such as eating high-caloric comfort foods – which could affect triglycerides and other cardiometabolic risk factors measured in this study. Additionally, when people apply negative weight stereotypes to themselves, such as being lazy or lacking willpower, they have less confidence in their ability to engage in healthy behaviors, such as physical activity.
The study found that when researchers accounted for other patient characteristics in addition to depression and the degree of obesity, the connection between weight stigma and metabolic syndrome was no longer statistically meaningful.
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