Intersections Between Body Size, Stigma, and Well-being: Limitations of BMI as a Proxy for Health and Wellbeing

Oregon Convention Center 

Body mass index, or BMI, is frequently used in health sciences and clinical settings as a marker of health, with an emphasis on the adverse physical effects of overweight/obesity on the body. Less discussed in these arenas are the effects of stigma and size discrimination on the mental and physical health of individuals with higher BMIs, and how anti-fat attitudes of public health and medical practitioners may exacerbate the very symptoms health professionals are attempting to ameliorate. Using data from three distinct studies that explore the role of body size on mental health and health behavior in disparate populations (e.g., adolescents, young sexual minority women, young men who have sex with men), this talk will explore the relationships between body size, stigma, and well-being, and emphasize the critical need to consider the role of anti-fat bias and weight-based stigma in shaping population health.