Katherine Kirkpatrick
sociology 101
Stigma analysis paper
November 1, 2018
The stigma of being over weight
The stigma of being over weight, obese, or fat is a stigma of the body and it is a harsh one. Over weight and obesity are defined as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that may impair health.(Websters dictionary)+
The World Health Organization in February 2018 states that world wide obesity has nearly tripled since 1975. In 2016 39% of adults aged 18 years and over (39% of men and 40% of women)were over weight in 2016 overall about 13% of the worlds adult population (11% of men and 15% of woman) were obese in 2016.
There is a bit of a difference between over weight and obesity. Over weight is a BMI greater than or equal to 25 and obesity is a BMI greater then or equal to 30. Your BMI is found with your weight and height,(I have a BMI of 37 they would consider me obese)
Doctors are finding that negative perceptions about people who are over weight may soon become the cultural norm in some countries. Over weight or obese individuals face numerous forms of stigmatization. In the US it is estimated that the prevalence of stigmatization has increased tremendously over the past decade. Weight stigma in now almost as comparable with racial discrimination and other forms of social discrimination’s that are directed towards various groups in the society.(Puhl ; Hever 2009)
The social and psychological consequences of weight stigma in middle school or high school can be intense. The need to conform and belong to a social group can be overwhelming and in most cases the failure to fit in can leave the person with low self esteem, anxiety, depression or even poor body image survays have shown that people who are subjected to weight bias are more likely to consider suicide than other youths that are not victimized. Research has shown that the suicidal thoughts in the victims are not caused by the body weight but by the stigma that they are subjected to.
Weight stigma can lead to unhealthy eating habits, like bulimia, anorexia, or emotional eating. Imagine you see an over weight person in a grocery store buying cookies and you look at her about to open those cookies in the store and eat them and you shake your head with a judgmental look on your face you don’t have to do anything but that for an over weight person to send them in to a tail spin of who bother to live.
Depression is something that is also something that obese or over weight people have in common. Studies have shown that obese people are about 25 percent more likely to experience a mood disorder like depression compared with those who are not obese. An obese person can find his/her self ostracized, stereotyped, and discriminated against.
In a response to the stigma a person can try to reset her life goals probable some therapy to get the depression under control, work on inner self image. Then you can sit down and reassess your self and what it is you want to do? Do you want to completely try to reverse the stigma? Loosing the weight for some is had but I have heard its its also hard to ask for help and if you can do that then the weight will happen in time and then hopefully that person will have there self esteem back. Then they will of reversed the stigma.
