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Obesity Surgery
Published in: Obesity Surgery 12/2020

Open Access 01-12-2020 | Obesity | Original Contributions

Influence of Body Mass Index and Gender on Stigmatization of Obesity

Authors: Christian Tapking, Laura Benner, Matthes Hackbusch, Svenja Schüler, Danny Tran, Gregor B. Ottawa, Katja Krug, Beat P. Müller-Stich, Lars Fischer, Felix Nickel

Published in: Obesity Surgery | Issue 12/2020

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Abstract

Background

Stigmatization and discrimination of people with obesity due to their weight are a common problem that may lead to additional weight gain. This study evaluated the influence of different parameters on the stigmatization of obesity.

Material and Methods

Participants of six groups (general population, patients with obesity, medical students, physicians, nurses in training and nurses; n = 490) answered the short-form fat phobia scale (FPS) between August 2016 and July 2017. The influence of body mass index (BMI), gender and other factors on total scores and single adjective pairs was analyzed.

Results

A total of 490 participants were evaluated. The total mean FPS rating was 3.5 ± 0.6. FPS was significantly lower (more positive) in participants with obesity (3.2 ± 0.7) compared with participants without obesity (3.5 ± 0.5, p < 0.001). Individuals with obesity and diabetes rated the FPS significantly lower (more positive), whereas age and gender did not have a significant influence. Participants with obesity linked obesity more often with good self-control (p < 0.001), being shapely (p = 0.002), industrious (p < 0.001), attractive (p < 0.001), active (p < 0.001), self-sacrificing (p < 0.001) and having more willpower (p < 0.001) than the participants without obesity. Females rated more positive in shapely versus shapeless (p = 0.038) and attractive versus non-attractive (p < 0.001) than males.

Conclusions

The present study shows that stigmatization of obesity is present in medical professionals as well as the general population. People affected by obesity characterized other people with obesity more positively (e.g. attractive or active), whereas people without obesity linked negative characteristics with obesity. Gender had an influence only on single items of FPS but did not affect overall stigmatization of obesity.
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Metadata
Title
Influence of Body Mass Index and Gender on Stigmatization of Obesity
Authors
Christian Tapking
Laura Benner
Matthes Hackbusch
Svenja Schüler
Danny Tran
Gregor B. Ottawa
Katja Krug
Beat P. Müller-Stich
Lars Fischer
Felix Nickel
Publication date
01-12-2020
Publisher
Springer US
Published in
Obesity Surgery / Issue 12/2020
Print ISSN: 0960-8923
Electronic ISSN: 1708-0428
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11695-020-04895-5

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