Addressing weight stigma

2019 will be marked by a new Lancet initiative on nutrition. Nutrition is a vast subject that needs a multisectoral approach, hence throughout this year, it will be a special focus at The Lancet family of journals. It started with two excellent Commissions published in January—one on healthy diets and sustainable food systems and one on the global syndemic of obesity, which put obesity into a much wider context. An important aspect that has received very little attention is stigma. While obesity is now recognised as a worldwide public health issue, it can still too often be regarded by some as an individual responsibility resulting from poor choices and motivations.