Impact of Provider Obesity Bias and Stigma in Western Medicine

Societal obesity stigma is greatly impactful on one's life that is experiencing obesity. Limited data is available discussing the impact obesity stigma has on care coordination. This is a commentary paper outlining current research addressing obesity stigma in United States medicine. From the limited research, verbal and non-verbal stigma surrounding obesity is prevalent in America. A call to action is vital to begin education with clinical providers. Increased education catalyzes the cultural shift within health care to improve clinical providers' empathy and care coordination efforts for this vulnerable population. Learning more about obesity stigma and how clinical medical providers can decrease stigma will ultimately save lives.