Weight Bias in Design: Unpacking Implicit Researcher Beliefs for Building Empathy

Weight bias, or associating negative stereotypes and assumptions about individuals because of their weight, is prevalent at every level of society. Building an empathetic relationship with the groups of interest is an integral part of human-centered design; however, the unconscious beliefs of the researchers could limit the understanding of anticipated users and impact the research process. Focusing on weight management, this position paper highlights the need for HCI researchers to critically reflect on their own biases and perspectives to better empathize with the experiences of those they are working with. To promote a deeper understanding of individuals with larger bodies, we propose a set of methods, some of which repurpose established design techniques but augment them with critical reflection to uncover researchers' unconscious beliefs and implicit biases. We discuss some important considerations for these techniques and their implications for future research directions for empathy in HCI.