Weight stigma, also called weight bias, weight discrimination, fat shaming, or sizeism, is one of the last socially acceptable forms of discrimination.
It shows up in schools, workplaces, families, and even healthcare settings. Research has found that weight stigma is linked to increased eating disorder risk, avoidance of medical care, and compromised treatment outcomes.
During Weight Stigma Awareness Week, September 22-26, 2025, which is sponsored by the National Alliance for Eating Disorders, we’re reminded that this issue isn’t just about body image…it’s about public health, dignity, and respect for all.
Here are ten ways to reduce weight stigma and create a more compassionate culture for everyone.
10 Ways to Reduce Weight Stigma
- Acknowledge it exists: Recognize that weight stigma harms people every day, particularly those in larger bodies.
- Challenge health assumptions: A person’s size does not tell you about their health, lifestyle, or worth.
- Reject BMI as a health measure: The Body Mass Index is outdated and misleading; it pathologizes natural body diversity.
- Adopt the 10 Intuitive Eating Principles: Focus on health behaviors like balanced eating and joyful movement, not weight loss.
- Examine your own weight biases: Notice if you equate thinness with success or fatness with failure. Awareness is the first step to change.
- Choose respectful language: Avoid stigmatizing words such as “lazy” or “sloppy.” Speak with compassion.
- Advocate for equitable care: Support medical offices and public spaces with equipment and seating that fit all bodies.
- Stop weight-based teasing: Parents and caregivers can avoid “food policing” and body-related comments that fuel shame. (Read this article: 3 Steps to help your Teens Improve their Body Image)
- Model positive body image: Be kind to your own body; children and peers notice self-criticism.
- Share diverse body representations: Follow and promote images of people in different sizes, races, genders, and abilities.
Why We Need to Be Aware of Weight Stigma
Weight stigma not only damages self-esteem but also drives harmful behaviors such as chronic dieting, binge eating, and avoidance of medical care.
People in larger bodies frequently report being dismissed by physicians, sometimes with life-threatening consequences.
— That statement is scary!
There are several articles my team of anti-diet dietitians has written extensively about this issue.
Here are a few that share more information on how we can build awareness of weight stigma and crush diet culture in today’s world. Everyone deserves to live as they are, for who they are, in the body size they are… without fear of judgment.
What is Weight Stigma and Why is it Important? highlights how weight stigma leads to misdiagnosis and delayed treatment.
In A Story About the Fear of Fat for One Family, I share how weight bias in medical settings harmed a family’s trust in healthcare and nearly derailed recovery.
More recently, I shared a letter a client wrote to her physician… Why ED Recovery Needs More Listening, Less Judging – it is very eye-opening on the topic of weight stigma and what respectful, weight-inclusive care truly requires.
Take Action This Week
Weight Stigma Awareness Week is an opportunity to educate ourselves, advocate for dignity, and take steps toward a more inclusive society. You can register for free events and resources the alliance is hosting this week.
By challenging weight stigma – at home, in schools, and in healthcare – we can begin to shift our culture toward equity and compassion. Something this world really needs in this moment, if you ask me.
You deserve care that respects your experience, not one-size-fits-all advice rooted in weight stigma and diet culture.
At Erica Leon Nutrition & Associates, we believe that everyone deserves respectful, individualized care, regardless of body size, medical history, or background.
If you’ve ever felt dismissed or misunderstood by a health care provider, you’re not alone.
However, the right approach with the right dietitian can change everything.
If you need support, please reach out to talk through your challenges. If you are looking for an eating disorders dietitian, several are on our team, and we work virtually in many states.
Feel free to book a call and speak with me. We can determine who on our team would be the best fit for you, depending on where you are and what support you are seeking.
Erica Leon is a Registered Dietitian and practices from a Health at Every Size (HAES®) lens. She and her team of eating disorder specialists and Anti-Diet Dietitians provide insurance-based care for eating disorders, disordered eating, chronic dieting, or other health conditions in a safe and non-judgmental space for healing.
We work virtually with our clients from our offices in Westchester County in New York as well as the tri-state areas of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, along with Alabama, California, the District of Columbia, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Minnesota, Oregon, Texas, Vermont, and Wisconsin. We are in-network with the following insurance companies: Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, Emblem Health and United Healthcare; including Oxford, UMR, and The Empire Plan (NYSHIP).
We take the time to learn where you or your family are in the pursuit of health. Respectful of your individual needs and lifestyle, Erica will provide an honest assessment of whether or not you are a good fit to work together. Click here to schedule a 15-minute Discovery Call with Erica to let us know about your needs, and to see which of our Dietitians is the best fit for you!
