Abstract
AimNegative attitudes towards people with obesity are common even in health care settings. So far, the attitudes and causal beliefs of dietitians and nutritionists have not been investigated systematically. The aim of this article was to review the current state of quantitative research on weight-related stigma by dietitians and nutritionists.MethodA systematic literature review was conducted in 2014 using PubMed, PsycINFO, Web of Science and Cochrane Library.ResultsEight studies were found that differ in regard to study characteristics, instruments and the origin of the sample. Six out of eight studies reported weight stigma expressed by dietitians and nutritionists. Their believed causes of obesity indicated a defined preference for internal factors rather than genetics or biology.DiscussionResults of studies were not homogenous. The degree of negative attitudes by dietitians and nutritionists towards people with obesity appeared to be slightly less pronounced compared to the general public and other health care professionals. Stigma and its consequences should be included into educational programs to optimally prepare dietitians and nutritionists.
Highlights
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), overweight and obesity have become a tremendous threat to the general population worldwide
There seems to be a lack of sufficient evidence for reasonable approaches to reduce explicit as well as implicit negative attitudes towards obesity and overweight in society
It might be difficult to change society’s way of thinking about people with overweight or obesity but it could be a first step to start with the occupational group whose responsibility it is to treat them with understanding and respect in order to help them reduce any health risk that is related to their body weight
Summary
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), overweight and obesity have become a tremendous threat to the general population worldwide. Dietitians, Nutritionists and Weight Stigmatization multifactorial conditions, which can be linked to a variety of genetic, hormonal or environmental causes. Many factors, such as socio-cultural (e.g. food environment, walkability), biophysical (e.g. genetics and neuroendocrinology), psychological (e.g. depression and stress) and medication-related factors can contribute to an increased energy intake and a lowered energy expenditure [1]. Weight stigmatization and exclusion processes have been found to increase rapidly during the last years [3] Negative stereotypes such as laziness, not being motivated or a lack of selfdiscipline are often associated with people with overweight or obesity [4]. The investigation of the causes of weight-related stigma is very important, in order to understand how prejudice related to obesity arise and how they can be overcome
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