Towards a weight-inclusive approach in public health: A position statement by the Ontario Dietitians in Public Health
“Weight bias and the resulting stigma and discrimination is a significant public health problem and social justice issue that leads to health inequities. Public health must not frame higher weights as a disease or epidemic as this contributes to weight discrimination. A weight-inclusive approach reduces harm and promotes health for individuals in larger bodies” (p. 16).
Weight bias, stigma and discrimination
This position statement from the Ontario Dietitians in Public Health explores the issue of weight bias, stigma and discrimination, and its intersection with other forms of oppression, including racism, colonialism and homophobia.
Weight bias is perpetuated through communications and structures in many settings, including public health, health care, employment, education and social environments. Recognizing this, public health has a critical role to play in mitigating the harm caused by weight bias and establishing weight-inclusive approaches across communities and institutions.
Public health approaches to promote weight inclusivity
Recommendations for public health action to promote weight-inclusive approaches, both within and outside of public health, in the advancement of health equity fall into four categories:
- Collaboration and partnership –Meaningfully engage people living in larger bodies to draw from their lived expertise, and support local partners in modifying programs, policies and resources to reflect a weight-inclusive approach.
- Communications – Change discriminatory language in internal and external communications, and shift away from weight-centric evaluations of health status with individuals and at a population level.
- Supportive environments and policy – Design spaces to fit all body types, and review policies and procedures for implicit weight bias.
- Capacity building – Commit to professional development and critical self-reflection about the harms of weight bias and importance of using weight-inclusive approaches.
Eleven scenarios are described with practical examples of public health action to reduce weight bias. Scenarios include how to respond in partnership situations and ways to shift common health promotion and public health strategies to focus less on weight.
Background information on the complexities of the weight-health nexus, as well as a glossary of key related terms, is included in this resource. A positionality statement is included acknowledging the power and privilege of the Ontario Dietitians in Public Health as an organization whose members work in colonial systems with unique individual and institutional privileges (pp. 19–20).
Use this resource to
- Identify examples of weight bias in social, clinical and public health settings
- Facilitate discussion about how to enhance size diversity in the workforce, across partnerships and within public health collaborations
- Develop strategies to improve size inclusiveness in social and health care settings to counter weight bias, stigma and discrimination
Alignment with NCCDH work
The NCCDH is exploring food systems, security and justice as determinants of health. Public health has a role in advancing food justice in Canada. This work encompasses a range of concepts from tackling weight discrimination and fat phobia to addressing systems and structures that affect food security in Canada.
Related NCCDH resources include:
Determining Health: Food systems issue brief
Determining Health: Food justice practice brief
Webinar: Public health action to transform food systems and advance food justice
See more resources on food systems as a determinant of health.
Reference
Ontario Dietitians in Public Health. (2024). Towards a weight-inclusive approach in public health: A position statement by the Ontario Dietitians in Public Health. https://www.odph.ca/membership/documents/loadDocument?download=1&id=7205#upload/membership/document/2024-09/towards-a-weight-inclusive-approach-1-1-.pdf
Tags: Food systems, Stigma, discrimination, Public Health Organization, Document, Report / Document