Stigma And 'Fat Shaming' Can Fuel Depression And Increase Obesity

Two-thirds of American adults are considered overweight or obese, but despite their majority, bias against those with excess weight is common in places like school, the workplace and in the media.

The stigma of obesity, researchers have found, has major implications for mental health, sometimes leading to stress, anxiety and depression. And while some believe stigma may act as a motivation tool for those trying to lose weight, studies have linked it to the increased likelihood of behaviors like binge eating.

In the fifth and final installment of Here & Now‘s series “America on the Scale,” host Jeremy Hobson speaks with Rebecca Puhl, who studies perceptions of obesity and the psychological affects of weight bias.

Guest

• Rebecca Puhl, deputy director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity at the University of Connecticut.

Copyright 2015 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.