We all know how good it feels when you have a “good” body image day. Even waking up and feeling neutral about the way you look can feel like a huge breath of fresh air, especially if you have more “bad” body image days than “good.” Unfortunately, the media can turn even the best of days into the worst. Keep reading to learn about weight stigma in the media and how to protect yourself from it.
Imagine you’re scrolling on TikTok. As you scroll, a video pops up of someone talking about what they ate in a day to lose X number of pounds. You brush it off and move on. You are planning to meet up with a friend so you open your weather app to see if you need a jacket. Before you can even see the temperature, an ad pops up for some weight loss program with an animation of someone’s stomach shrinking. Again, you try to move on, but now you are thinking about your own stomach. After you come home from visiting your friend you check the news. The first article that pops up is about a new supplement, endorsed by a doctor, that is sure to “melt fat right off.” Now you are thinking about the fat on your body and your good mood is gone. Your day of feeling neutral about your body is over, and now you are doubting your health, your worth, and your eating habits.
These messages about our bodies are all over the media, causing people to constantly feel like they need to “fix” the way their body looks. It is hard to accept our bodies when we are constantly bombarded with weight stigma. In this blog, we’ll discuss the dangers of weight stigma and several strategies to combat its effects.
What is Weight Stigma?
Weight stigma is discrimination or bias against anyone based on their body size. Weight stigma can be very obvious and direct, but it can also be indirect.
An example of direct weight stigma might be an extended family member giving you unsolicited diet advice at a holiday gathering. It might look like your parents buying you a gym membership for your birthday that you didn’t ask for (or want.) It might be your doctor recommending that you should “change your eating habits” before they even ask what you like to eat.
Indirect weight stigma can be just as hard to deal with. Maybe it doesn’t involve someone personally treating you differently, but it can still be really hurtful. When I think of indirect forms of weight stigma, I think about some of the examples I mentioned at the top of this blog. It can come from social media, advertisements, news articles, etc. I think what makes this type of weight stigma so harmful is the amount of times we see it every day.
Why is Weight Stigma so Prevalent?
I wish I knew the exact answer to this, because then in reality it would be easier to combat. However, in reality, the answer is probably very complicated. As long as weight bias exists in the world then weight stigma will come along with it. People have grown up their whole lives taking in messages that support weight bias and, whether it’s intentional or not, these messages keep getting passed around in new ways.
As an eating disorder dietitian, I am constantly teaching people why the number on the scale doesn’t deserve the power we give it. I teach people why weight isn’t the only marker of health. I also see the dangerous consequences of weight stigma on a daily basis. When people are taught to equate weight with their worth it can lead to intense fears of weight gain, body dysmorphia, and the normalization of disordered eating for the sake of “health.”
How to Spot Weight Stigma
So, how can you recognize weight stigma when you see it? Recognizing it for what it is can help you manage your own response to it. Here are some questions to ask yourself when you encounter possible weight stigma in the media:
1. Identify who the author is
Diet programs and beauty products make more money when you feel bad about yourself. I am generalizing, but a lot of these products or services are created to fix or improve something that doesn’t actually need to be fixed or improved. If you are feeling bad about your weight, weight stigma is a likely culprit.
2. Does it seem too good to be true?
Do you ever look at the covers of magazines when you are standing in line at the grocery store and read the headlines just to see what they are? I feel like every time I look at them I see some new program claiming you can transform (shrink) your body in no time. These claims are not only false, but they just perpetuate the harmful idea that your body needs to be smaller to have worth.
3. Ask yourself, “How is this making me feel?”
Ultimately, if you are left feeling worse about your body after reading an article, or watching a video then you likely were exposed to weight stigma.
How to Protect Yourself from Weight Stigma
So, if weight stigma is so common in the media, how can we protect ourselves from the constant negative messaging about our bodies?
Start by learning to recognize it. Using the questions above is a good way to start. If you can recognize when you are being exposed to weight stigma, you will be able to let those harmful messages go instead of taking them in.
You can also learn about Health At Every Size (HAES) and what that means. If you want to learn more about HAES, I recommend talking with a registered dietitian who practices through a HAES lens.
Parents: How to Protect Your Children from Weight Stigma
As a parent, you would probably do anything to protect your kids. But weight stigma is out there and you can’t stop them from eventually encountering some confusing messages about their own bodies. As a parent, one of the best things you can do is be a role model. You can choose not to say negative things about your own body. You can choose not to say negative things about anyone else’s body too. You can choose to eat dessert without talking about your weight. When kids grow up seeing their parents act neutral towards their bodies, they learn to feel neutral about their own bodies too. By doing this, you can show your kids that they don’t have to fear any foods, and they don’t have to feel ashamed of their body no matter what it looks like.
Final Thoughts on Weight Stigma in the Media
Thank you for reading our blog, “Weight Stigma in the Media.” Although they can be difficult, it’s important that conversations about weight stigma, such as these, keep happening. Weight stigma can affect anyone, regardless of race, age, or gender and as technology becomes more accessible, more people will be exposed to these harmful messages. We know it may be hard, but with the right tools and preparation, you can learn to ignore weight stigma and begin cultivating a more positive body image!
Contact Us
Courage to Nourish is a group of eating disorder specialized dietitians. We have in person locations in Alexandria, Virginia, Columbia, Maryland. and College Park, Maryland. We offer virtual services across the state of Virginia, Washington DC, Pennsylvania, and Colorado. We offer individual nutrition therapy. As well as support groups. We would love to guide you in building a better relationship with food.
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Lauren joined Courage to Nourish because she used to work in the fitness and fashion industry. She realized how much misinformation there is about food and nutrition and vowed to support others with their relationship with food. Lauren holds a special place in her heart for working with clients struggling with women's health concerns including diagnoses involving hormonal imbalances such as PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) and fertility difficulties. She also specializes in working with clients who have bulimia, binge eating disorder and those transitioning from a higher level of care. View Lauren's full bio here.
