A special thank you to Eliza Koso, ABSN '24 and Health Equity and Leadership (HEAL) Fellow, for her work on curating resources for this guide.
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When we talk about weight stigma, we are thinking about the social assumptions about individuals with various weights and body shapes, as well as how they are treated within the realm of healthcare. While creating this LibGuide, we spent a lot of time trying to figure out the best title. Anti-fat bias excluded those who have stigma about their weight or body at the smaller end of the spectrum. The same could be said if using “increased adipose tissue” as is sometimes used in medicine. We avoided using BMI, as it is a mathematical equation which does not account for differences in body habitus, such as muscle mass or bone density. So, while we are not in love with “Weight Stigma” it seemed the best option at this point in time. Perhaps we will change it again, as all of this keeps evolving.
We are looking to bring more understanding to how all bodies are treated in healthcare, with an emphasis on how those who are viewed as ‘abnormal’ or ‘unhealthy’ are treated differently, and often negatively to the detriment of their health.