Abstract
Background:Despite a wealth of experimental studies on weight bias, little is known about weight discrimination at the population level. This study examined the prevalence and socio-demographic correlates of perceived weight discrimination in a large population-based sample of older adults.Methods:Data were from 5307 adults in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing; a population-based cohort of men and women aged ⩾50 years. Weight discrimination was reported for five domains (less respect/courtesy; treated as less clever; poorer treatment in medical settings; poorer service in restaurants/stores; threatened/harassed) at wave 5 (2010–2011). Height and weight were measured at wave 4 (2008–2009). We used logistic regression to test the odds of weight discrimination in relation to weight status, age, sex, wealth, education and marital status.Results:Perceived weight discrimination in any domain was reported by 4.6% of participants, ranging from 0.8% in the normal-weight participants through 0.9, 6.7, 24.2 and 35.1% in individuals who were overweight or met criteria for class I, II and III obesity. Overall, and in each situation, odds of perceived weight discrimination were higher in younger and less wealthy individuals. There was no interaction between weight status and any socio-demographic variable. Relative to normal-weight participants, odds ratios for any perceived weight discrimination were 1.13 (95% confidence interval 0.53–2.40) in those who were overweight, 8.86 (4.65–16.88) in those with class I obesity, 35.06 (18.30–67.16) in class II obese and 56.43 (27.72–114.87) in class III obese.Conclusions:Our results indicate that rates of perceived weight discrimination are comparatively low in individuals who are overweight or have class I obesity, but for those with class II/III obesity, >10% had experienced discrimination in each domain, and >20% had been treated with less respect or courtesy. These findings have implications for public policy and highlight the need for effective interventions to promote equality.
Highlights
The majority of adults living in the United Kingdom are overweight or obese
Details on the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) cohort and sampling method have been published elsewhere,[17] but briefly, ELSA is a panel study recruited from households with one or more members aged ⩾ 50 years responding to the Health Survey for England in 1998, 1999 and 2001, with ‘refreshment samples’ added from additional rounds of the Health Survey for England in 2006, 2008 and 2012
Where individuals reported weight discrimination, we looked both at individual domains and created an overall score reflecting any experiences of weight discrimination for comparison with Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS) results
Summary
The majority of adults living in the United Kingdom are overweight or obese. Recent statistics from the Health Survey for England indicate that 410 million adults living in England (25% of the adult population) are obese.[1]. RESULTS: Perceived weight discrimination in any domain was reported by 4.6% of participants, ranging from 0.8% in the normal-weight participants through 0.9, 6.7, 24.2 and 35.1% in individuals who were overweight or met criteria for class I, II and III obesity. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that rates of perceived weight discrimination are comparatively low in individuals who are overweight or have class I obesity, but for those with class II/III obesity, 410% had experienced discrimination in each domain, and 420% had been treated with less respect or courtesy. These findings have implications for public policy and highlight the need for effective interventions to promote equality
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