Obese People Should NEVER Be Discriminated

We are all aware of the fact that being overweight is bad for our health. A recent study conducted by a URI professor has revealed that discrimination against obese can make the situation worse.

Obesity is a medical condition in which the excess body fat gets accumulated in the body and causes adverse effects. As per a report published in Science Daily, Maya Vadiveloo, Assistant Professor of Nutrition and Food Sciences in the College of Health Sciences and Josiemer Mattei, Assistant Professor of Nutrition at Harvard University analyzed the weight discrimination data from the long-term national study named Mildlife Development in the United States.

Obese people are more prone to health risks such as inflammation, diabetes, heart disease and other disorders if they are discriminated in the society. The study suggested that people who experienced weight discrimination over a 10-year-period are more subjected to cumulative dysfunction of bodily systems from chronic stress. The researchers targeted respondents who reported to experience a consistent discrimination due to their weight and asked whether they were treated indifferently in the society.

According to Indian Express, Maya Vadiveloo added that discrimination is a big effect on obese people. She said, "Even if we accounted for health effects attributed to being overweight, these people still experience double the risk of an allostatic load because of weight discrimination."

The research highlights the significance of sensitivity and understanding while working with individuals who are obese and also while managing obesity-related health campaigns. The study reveals that people who experience discrimination tend to close all the doors of social interactions and avoids visiting the doctor.

There is so much of shaming around food and weight across the globe. People should work together irrespective of nationality, sex, and physical appearance to improve the public health. The society should offer clinical assistance for individuals who are suffering from obesity and target the environmental risk factors.