Sarah Nutter

Positioning of Weight Bias: Moving towards Social Justice

Weight bias is a form of stigma with detrimental effects on the health and wellness of individuals with large bodies. Researchers from various disciplines have recognized weight bias as an important topic for public health and for professional practice. To date, researchers from various areas have approached weight bias from independent perspectives and from differing theoretical orientations. In this paper, we examined the similarities and differences between three perspectives (i.e., weight-centric, non-weight-centric (health-centric), and health at every size) used to understand weight bias and approach weight bias research with regard to (a) language about people with large bodies, (b) theoretical position, (c) identified consequences of weight bias, and (d) identified influences on weight-based social inequity. We suggest that, despite differences, each perspective acknowledges the negative influences that position weight as being within individual control and the negative consequences of weight bias. We call for recognition and discussion of weight bias as a social justice issue in order to change the discourse and professional practices extended towards individuals with large bodies. We advocate for an emphasis on social justice as a uniting framework for interdisciplinary research on weight bias.

Weight bias as a social justice issue: A call for dialogue.

Weight bias is pervasive, impacting the lived experiences of individuals with large bodies in all areas of society. Weight bias negatively impacts psychological and physical health, and contributes to systemic inequity for individuals with large bodies. Given that counselling psychology has been recognised for its commitment to social justice, it is important to provide examples of the many social justice issues associated with weight bias. The purpose of this article is to position weight bias as an important social justice issue for psychologists, through the lens of 3 social justice perspectives; distributive justice, procedural justice, and ecological justice. We examine the lack of equitable distribution of opportunities and resources for individuals with large bodies in health care, the workforce, education, and within interpersonal relationships. We also discuss the lack of voice provided to individuals with large bodies with regard to the policies and practices that affect them, and the social and environmental forces that systemically influence body weight and weight bias. Finally, we encourage further dialogue between professionals across disciplines about weight bias as a social justice issue in the future design of research, education, and practice. La partialité contre les personnes obèses est omniprésente, si bien qu’elle influe sur les expériences vécues par les personnes de forte corpulence dans tous les secteurs de la société. La partialité contre les personnes obèses a des répercussions sur la santé psychologique et physique, et alimente les injustices systémiques auxquelles font face les personnes de forte corpulence. Étant donné que la « psychologie du counseling » a été reconnue pour son engagement à l’endroit de la justice sociale, il importe de fournir des exemples des nombreux enjeux de justice sociale associés à la partialité contre les personnes obèses. Le but du présent article consiste à positionner la partialité contre les personnes obèses comme un enjeu de justice sociale d’importance pour les psychologues à travers le prisme de trois perspectives de justice sociale, à savoir la justice distributive, la justice procédurale et la justice écologique. Nous nous penchons sur le manque d’équité dans la répartition des possibilités et des ressources à la disposition des personnes de forte corpulence dans les soins de santé, le travail, l’éducation et les relations interpersonnelles. Nous discutons aussi de la faible contribution des personnes de forte corpulence aux politiques et aux pratiques qui les touchent, ainsi que des forces sociales et environnementales qui influent systématiquement sur le poids corporel et la partialité contre les personnes obèses. Enfin, nous encourageons la poursuite du dialogue entre les professionnels de plusieurs disciplines au sujet de la partialité contre les personnes obèses en tant qu’enjeu de justice sociale dans la conception future de la recherche, de l’éducation et des pratiques.

Becoming new together: making meaning with newcomers through an arts-based ethnographic research design

ABSTRACT This article proposes an arts-based ethnographic research design as a means of engaging in ethical, meaningful, and culturally sensitive research with newcomer communities. Moving away from the manner in which culture has traditionally been defined and studied in psychology, this research design uses cultural probes and subsequent qualitative interviews to collect data about newcomers’ everyday experiences in Canada. Cultural probes are sets of creative items (e.g., cameras, diaries, maps, paint supplies, postcards) that are given to participants to prompt them to document their lives in their new environment. These cultural probes are later unpacked and discussed in individual qualitative interviews. Results are disseminated and archived in ways that are meant to engage and empower communities. Specifically, the process of creating a cultural exhibit collaboratively with participants is discussed.

Framing obesity a disease: Indirect effects of affect and controllability beliefs on weight bias

Background/objectivesObesity has been declared a disease by the American and Canadian Medical Associations. Although these declarations sparked much debate as to the impact of framing obesity as a disease on weight bias, strong empirical research is needed to examine this impact. The current study examined the impact of framing obesity a disease on weight bias, focusing on moderating and mediating processes.Subjects/methodsA sample of 309 participants living in the United States or Canada was recruited from Crowdflower. Participants completed measures of demographics, ideology, general attitudes, and previous contact quality and quantity with people living with obesity. Participants then read one of three articles as part of an experimental manipulation framing obesity as a disease, obesity not as a disease, and a control article unrelated to obesity. Post-manipulation included measures of affect, disgust, empathy, blame, and weight bias.ResultsOrthogonal contrasts were used to compare the obesity-disease condition to the obesity-not-disease condition and control condition. The manipulation had a direct effect on affect (emotions), such that affect toward individuals with obesity was more positive in the obesity-disease condition than the obesity-not-disease and control condition combined. Exploration of moderating effects revealed that both the belief in a just world and weight satisfaction moderated the relationship between the obesity-disease manipulation and blame for obesity. Two models of indirect effects on weight bias were also examined, which demonstrated that the obesity-disease manipulation predicted less weight bias through more positive affect (model 1) as well as less weight bias through decreased blame among individuals high in belief in a just world (model 2).ConclusionsThis study further highlights the complex effects of declaring obesity a disease, uncovering a new direction for future research into the role of affect as well as indirect effects of characterising obesity a disease on weight bias.