Affiliation:
1. University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, USA
Abstract
The most recent estimates by the Center for Disease Control indicate that obesity is present in up to 41.9% of adults living in the United States, with a prevalence of severe obesity reaching 9.2%. Consequently, healthcare providers and healthcare systems in general will often interact with and provide care to individuals with obesity. However, weight stigma is common within the healthcare system, often presenting as a poorly equipped healthcare environment, and insufficient proficiency in communicating with and examining individuals with obesity. Most concerning, however, is how anti-obesity bias leads to stereotyping with premature closure and over-attribution of disease when treating patients with obesity. These factors can lead to discrimination and inequity in delivery of healthcare to individuals with obesity and result in healthcare avoidance by these patients. This chapter examines discriminatory practices affecting healthcare delivery to individuals with obesity and discusses approaches to address them.