Weight Bias in Society

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Weigh bias in society
Discrimination throughout the country has been frowned upon, restricted and actively discouraged for some groups. ‘New’ discriminations have been found, and levels of harassment have been increasingly seen throughout schools (Bucchianeri, Eisenberg, & Neumark-Sztainer, 2013; Miyair, & Reel, 2011). The most socially acceptable biases are related to weight (Mendoza, 2013). This has been called the weight-bias, or weightism, in which the stigmatization of size and weight that reinforce stereotypes associated with weight, eating habits and exercise (Miyair & Reel, 2011). Coverage towards ‘fat’ people has been on the rise and it is not uncommon to question people’s abilities due to their body size (Roberts, Cunningham, & Dreher, 2012; Phillips & de Man, 2010; Farrow & Tarrant, 2009; Blaine & McElroy, 2002). People with a larger body mass are seen as a problem without considering other sources for their appearance (Mendoza, 2013). Throughout history being ‘fat’ was actually a good thing but now it turned into a negative aspect of society. There is an accepted discrimination for this group of people, both children and adults, reduced their amount of self-esteem (Young-Hyman, Schlundtl, Herman-Wenderoth & Bozylinski, 2003) and there is an internalization of societal views that are unrealistic for many. By acknowledging weightism (weight bias) and its consequences outside of what society expects, we would probably see a decrease in the amount of ‘feeding disorders’.
In the past, being overweight and obese did not have the negative aspects that we associate with them today. Although, fasting and restricting food intake happened throughout the year, it was usually done by aristocracy and Christian clergy (Kadish, 2012)....

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...l settings: A sport and exercise psychology perspective. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance, 82(8), 50-53.
Phillips, N., & de Man, A. F. (2010). Weight status and body image in adult men and women. North American Journal of Psychology, 12(1), 171-184.
Roberts, A., Cunningham, M., & Dreher, L. (2012). Ethnicity of dating partner, pressure for thinness and body dissatisfaction. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 42(6), 1415-1438. doi:10.1111/j.1559-1816.2012.00905.x
Wolpert, E. (2010). Social construction of obesity and eating disorders. The Pitt Sociology Review: An Undergraduate Sociology Journal, 1, 35-51.
Young-Hyman, D., Schlundtl, D. G., Herman-Wenderoth, L., & Bozylinski, K. (2003). Obesity, appearance, and psychosocial adaptation in young African American children. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 28(7), 463-472. doi:10.1093/jpepsy/jsg037

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