Cited by 332Obesity and Health PracticesEating Disorders and BehaviorsSocial and Intergroup Psychology

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Weighed Down by Stigma: How Weight‐Based Social Identity Threat Contributes to Weight Gain and Poor Health

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Hunger, Jeffrey M., Major, Brenda, Blodorn, Alison, Miller, Carol T.·2015·Social and Personality Psychology Compass

DOI 10.1111/spc3.12172PMC PMC5720363

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Abstract

Weight stigma is pervasive, and a number of scholars argue that this profound stigma contributes to the negative effects of weight on psychological and physical health. Some lay individuals and health professionals assume that stigmatizing weight can actually motivate healthier behaviors and promote weight loss. However, as we review, weight stigma is consistently associated with poorer mental and physical health outcomes. In this article, we propose a social identity threat model elucidating how weight stigma contributes to weight gain and poorer mental and physical health among overweight individuals. We propose that weight‐based social identity threat increases physiological stress, undermines self‐regulation, compromises psychological health, and increases the motivation to avoid stigmatizing domains (e.g., the gym) and escape the stigma by engaging in unhealthy weight loss behaviors. Given the prevalence of overweight and obesity in the US, weight stigma thus has the potential to undermine the health and wellbeing of millions of Americans.

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Pearlman, A. T., Schvey, N. A., Neyland, M. K. H., Solomon, S., Hennigan, K., Schindler, R., Leu, W., Gillmore, D., Shank, L. M., Lavender, J. M., et al. (2019) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph17010024 · Cited by 48
“Specifically, experiences of WBT and stigma may threaten the social identity of individuals with overweight or obesity, resulting in both acute and chronic stress which, in turn, reduces one’s self-regulatory capacity and increases one’s desire to escape from or avoid the stigmatized identity [78].”
Background
Dietary approaches to weight-loss, Health At Every Size® and beyond: rethinking the war on obesity
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Internalized weight stigma and the relationship between weight perception and negative body-related self-conscious emotions.
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The role of dieting, happiness with appearance, self-esteem, and bullying in the relationship between mental health and body-mass index among UK adolescents: a longitudinal analysis of the Millennium Cohort Study
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Information Targeting Increases the Weight of Stigma: Leveraging Relevance Backfires When People Feel Judged
Derricks, V. S., & Earl, A. N. (2019) · Journal of Experimental Social Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.jesp.2018.12.003 · Cited by 30
“…in turn can decrease self-regulation and increase compensatory behaviors (e.g., stress-induced eating; Ferrante et al., 2016; Hunger & Major, 2015; Hunger et al., 2015; Major, Eliezer, & Rieck, 2012; Major, Hunger, Bunyan, & Miller, 2014; Puhl & Brownell, 2001; Roehling, Pichler, & Bruce, 2013;…”
Perceived weight discrimination, changes in health, and daily stressors
Sutin, A. R., Stéphan, Y., Grzywacz, J. G., Robinson, E., Daly, M., & Terracciano, A. (2016) · Obesity · doi:10.1002/oby.21598 · Cited by 38
Bidirectional relationships between weight stigma and pediatric obesity: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Ma, L., Chu, M., Li, Y.-X., Wu, Y., Yan, A. F., Johnson, B. T., & Wang, Y.-F. (2021) · Obesity Reviews · doi:10.1111/obr.13178 · Cited by 31
“indirectly impair health by increasing stress and negative emotions, physiological reactivity, calorie intake, and stigma-avoidance behaviors.(41,42) For example, as a source of psychological stress, weight stigma may trigger HPA-mediated physiological obesogenic processes.”
Background
How Weight Bias and Stigma Undermine Healthcare Access and Utilization
Pearl, R. L., & Sheynblyum, M. (2025) · Current Obesity Reports · doi:10.1007/s13679-025-00605-3 · Cited by 32
“At the intrapersonal level, individuals with high weight often report distress in anticipation of negative judgment or mistreatment from others [9], as well as internalization of negative weight attitudes and self-devaluation (i.e., self-stigma) due to one’s weight [10].”
Experiences of weight stigma in adolescents with severe obesity and their families
Roberts, K. J., Polfuss, M. L., Marston, E. C., & Davis, R. L. (2021) · Journal of Advanced Nursing · doi:10.1111/jan.15012 · Cited by 36
Diminished self-concept and social exclusion: Disparagement humor from the target’s perspective
Ford, T. E., Buie, H. S., Mason, S. D., Olah, A. R., Breeden, C. J., & Ferguson, M. A. (2019) · Self and Identity · doi:10.1080/15298868.2019.1653960 · Cited by 55
Unhealthy weight control behaviors and substance use among adolescent girls: The harms of weight stigma
Simone, M., Hooper, L., Eisenberg, M. E., & Neumark‐Sztainer, D. (2019) · Social Science & Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2019.05.047 · Cited by 34
“Weightbased social identity threat has been defined as the situational state wherein an individual experiences concern that they have been or will be discriminated against or devalued based on their weight or shape (Hunger et al., 2015).”
BackgroundMethodResultInfluential
Telling people they are overweight: helpful, harmful or beside the point?
Robinson, E., Haynes, A., Sutin, A., & Daly, M. (2017) · International Journal of Obesity · doi:10.1038/ijo.2017.85 · Cited by 27
“Cat Ladies” and “Mama’s Boys”: A Mixed-Methods Analysis of the Gendered Discrimination and Stereotypes of Single Women and Single Men
Dupuis, H. E., & Girme, Y. U. (2023) · Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin · doi:10.1177/01461672231203123 · Cited by 32
“…single, higher body weight), negative attitudes toward them are seen as more acceptable than negative attitudes toward those who are discriminated against for things beyond their control (e.g., being a person of color; Crandall et al., 2002; see also Fisher & Sakaluk, 2020; Hunger et al., 2015).”
Background
“I am terrified of something happening to me” The lived experience of people with obesity during the COVID ‐19 pandemic
Grannell, A., le Roux, C. W., & McGillicuddy, D. (2020) · Clinical Obesity · doi:10.1111/cob.12406 · Cited by 31
Weight-based discrimination, interpersonal needs, and suicidal ideation.
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Self-citation
GLP-1 agonists and risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviours: Confound by indication once again? A narrative review
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“On the other hand, body weight is strongly associated with social identity (Hunger et al., 2015) and rapid weight loss could result in identity disturbance, which has been associated with suicide attempts in borderline personality disorder (Yen et al., 2021).”
Background
Couples losing kinship: A systematic review of weight stigma in romantic relationships
Schmidt, A. M., Jubran, M., Salivar, E. G., & Brochu, P. M. (2022) · Journal of Social Issues · doi:10.1111/josi.12542 · Cited by 34
“The stress associated with weight stigma is known to dysregulate bodily function (e.g., cortisol, oxidative stress, C-reactive protein), which negatively affects physical health (e.g., immune functioning, systemic inflammation; Hunger et al., 2015; Tomiyama, 2014).”
Background
Body weight perception outweighs body weight when predicting shame, criticism, depression and anxiety for lower BMI range and higher BMI range adults
Carter, A., Hoang, A., Gilbert, P., & Kirby, J. N. (2021) · Journal of Health Psychology · doi:10.1177/13591053211027641 · Cited by 29
“Indeed, the stigma of being in a higher BMI range in Western societies causes great psychological distress (Hunger et al., 2015; Kelly et al., 2014; Puhl and Heuer, 2010).”
BackgroundInfluential
The roles of weight stigma, emotion dysregulation, and eating pathology in suicide risk
Douglas, V., Kwan, M. Y., & Gordon, K. H. (2021) · Body Image · doi:10.1016/j.bodyim.2021.04.005 · Cited by 31
Associations between perceived everyday discrimination, discrimination attributions, and binge eating among Latinas: results from the National Latino and Asian American Study
Beccia, A. L., Jesdale, W. M., & Lapane, K. L. (2020) · Annals of Epidemiology · doi:10.1016/j.annepidem.2020.03.012 · Cited by 29
The mediating role of internalized weight stigma on weight perception and depression among emerging adults: Exploring moderation by weight and race
Decker, K. M., Thurston, I. B., & Kamody, R. C. (2018) · Body Image · doi:10.1016/j.bodyim.2018.10.004 · Cited by 30
Coping with weight stigma: development and validation of a Brief Coping Responses Inventory
Hayward, L. E., Vartanian, L., & Pinkus, R. T. (2017) · Obesity Science & Practice · doi:10.1002/osp4.125 · Cited by 24
“These stigmatizing experiences are stressful for the targets of weight stigma and produce harmful psychological and behavioural consequences (5).”
Background
Weight stigma and psychological distress: A moderated mediation model of social identification and internalised bias
Curll, S. L., & Brown, P. M. (2020) · Body Image · doi:10.1016/j.bodyim.2020.09.006 · Cited by 29
When stigma is the norm: How weight and social norms influence the healthcare we receive
Rathbone, J. A., Cruwys, T., Jetten, J., & Barlow, F. K. (2020) · Journal of Applied Social Psychology · doi:10.1111/jasp.12689 · Cited by 30
Socio-Ecological Influences on Adolescent (Aged 10–17) Alcohol Use and Unhealthy Eating Behaviours: A Systematic Review and Synthesis of Qualitative Studies
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Corumination, diet culture, intuitive eating, and body dissatisfaction among young adult women
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Discrepancies between actual weight, weight perception and weight loss intention amongst persons with NAFLD
Nguyen, V. H., Yeo, Y. H., Zou, B., Le, M. H., Henry, L. L., Cheung, R. C., & Nguyen, M. H. (2020) · Journal of Internal Medicine · doi:10.1111/joim.13203 · Cited by 25
Body image dissatisfaction and its relation to body mass index among female medical students in Sudan: across-sectional study 2020-2021
Mohamed, B. A. A., & Idrees, M. H. D. (2023) · BMC Women's Health · doi:10.1186/s12905-023-02748-8 · Cited by 20
“This might be ascribed to the social stigma associated with “being fat” [21].”
Background
Saving money or losing face? An international study on social stigmatization in discount stores
Homburg, C., & Ukrainets, K. (2021) · Psychology and Marketing · doi:10.1002/mar.21482 · Cited by 21
“These studies focus on weight (Decker et al., 2018; Hunger et al., 2015; Major et al., 2014), gender (Metaxa‐Kakavouli et al., 2018; Stout & Dasgupta, 2011), and race (Eijberts & Roggeband, 2016; Meuleman et al., 2019).”
BackgroundInfluential
Intersectionality and Sizeism: Implications for Mental Health Practitioners
Smith, C. A. (2019) · Women & Therapy · doi:10.1080/02703149.2018.1524076 · Cited by 19
Relationship of pressure to be thin with gains in body weight and fat mass in adolescents
Suelter, C., Schvey, N. A., Kelly, N. R., Shanks, M., Thompson, K. A., Mehari, R. D., Brady, S. M., Yanovski, S. Z., Melby, C. L., Tanofsky‐Kraff, M., et al. (2016) · Pediatric Obesity · doi:10.1111/ijpo.12179 · Cited by 20
“coping, loneliness and depressed affect) plausibly may alter lifestyle behaviours that promote a positive energy balance (29).”
The COVID-19 pandemic and weight management: Effective behaviors and pandemic-specific risk factors
Borgatti, A. C., Schneider-Worthington, C. R., Stager, L., Krantz, O., Davis, A., Blevins, M., Howell, C., & Dutton, G. (2021) · Obesity Research and Clinical Practice · doi:10.1016/j.orcp.2021.06.007 · Cited by 19
Stigma control model of dysregulated eating: A momentary maintenance model of dysregulated eating among marginalized/stigmatized individuals
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The role of partner autonomy support in motivation, well-being, and weight loss among women with higher baseline BMI.
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ASMBS position statement on weight bias and stigma.
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“[61] Hunger JM,Major B, Blodorn A,Miller CT.”
Background
Young people’s perceptions of fat counsellors: “How can THAT help me?”
Moller, N. P., & Tischner, I. (2018) · Qualitative Research in Psychology · doi:10.1080/14780887.2018.1536384 · Cited by 36
“…psychological ill-health is not questioned, yet a growing number of researchers are arguing it is weight bias (rather than body weight per se) which has a causal relationship with both disordered eating (Vartanian & Porter 2016) and negative psychological and physical health (Hunger et al. 2015).”
Background
Weight Stigma and Hypothalamic–Pituitary–Adrenocortical Axis Reactivity in Individuals Who Are Overweight
McCleary-Gaddy, A. T., Miller, C. T., Grover, K. W., Hodge, J. J., & Major, B. (2018) · Annals of Behavioral Medicine · doi:10.1093/abm/kay042 · Cited by 21
“One previous study from this project theorized that physiological stress is one pathway by which weight-based social identity threat may lead to weight gain and poorer mental and physical health [2].”
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Imagine that! The effect of counterstereotypic imagined intergroup contact on weight bias.
Dunaev, J., Brochu, P. M., & Markey, C. H. (2017) · Health Psychology · doi:10.1037/hea0000545 · Cited by 22
Weight stigma as a stressor: A preliminary multi-wave, longitudinal study testing the biobehavioral pathways of the Cyclic Obesity/Weight-Based Stigma (COBWEBS) model.
Lee, K. M., Wang, C., Du, H., Hunger, J., & Tomiyama, A. (2024) · Appetite · doi:10.1016/j.appet.2024.107573 · Cited by 17
“Considerable research in the past decade has shown that weight stigma is not only widespread (Lee et al., 2021; Prunty et al., 2020), but also induces significant psychological and physiological stress (Hunger et al., 2015; Puhl & Heuer, 2009; Sikorski et al., 2015; Tomiyama, 2014, 2019).”
Self-citation
Medical avoidance among marginalized groups: the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
Holder-Dixon, A. R., Adams, O. R., Cobb, T. L., Goldberg, A. J., Fikslin, R. A., Reinka, M. A., Gesselman, A. N., & Price, D. M. (2022) · Journal of Behavioral Medicine · doi:10.1007/s10865-022-00332-3 · Cited by 21
Reducing social distance caused by weight stigma: Nostalgia changes behavior toward overweight individuals
Turner, R., Wildschut, T., & Sedikides, C. (2022) · Journal of Applied Social Psychology · doi:10.1111/jasp.12869 · Cited by 17
Fat embodiment for resistance and healing from weight stigma
Sturgess, C. M. B., & Stinson, D. A. (2022) · Body Image · doi:10.1016/j.bodyim.2022.02.007 · Cited by 21
“For example, people who self-identify as fat or who believe others identify them as fat can experience social identity threat (Hunger et al., 2015), a state of heightened anxiety and vigilance that is triggered This threat creates chronic stress and destabilizes self-regulation and executive…”
Evaluation of the psychometric properties of self‐reported weight stigma measures: A systematic literature review
Papadopoulos, S., Garcia, X. D. L. P., & Brennan, L. (2021) · Obesity Reviews · doi:10.1111/obr.13267 · Cited by 25
“one's weight in particular contexts) is a risk factor for disordered eating(1) as well as poor psychological and physiological stress, and poor healthcare underutilization.(2)”
BackgroundInfluential

Authors: Hunger, J. M., Major, B., Blodorn, A., & Miller, C. T.
Affiliations: University of California, Santa Barbara (US)
University of Vermont (US)
Corresponding author: Hunger, Jeffrey M.
ORCID: Hunger, Jeffrey M.
Major, Brenda
Blodorn, Alison
Venue: Social and Personality Psychology Compass
Publisher: Wiley
Published: 2015-06
Volume: 9
Issue: 6
Pages: 255-268
ISSN: 1751-9004 (ISSN-L)
DOI: 10.1111/spc3.12172
PMC: PMC5720363
OpenAlex: W1533895333
Cited by: 332
References: 99
Citations by year: 2026: 28 · 2025: 36 · 2024: 47 · 2023: 28 · 2022: 29 · 2021: 42 · 2020: 38 · 2019: 20 · 2018: 30 · 2017: 15 · 2016: 15 · 2015: 4
FWCI: 53.86
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: green
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Licence: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor (vor, 3 d)
Locations: Social and Personality Psychology Compass (publishedVersion)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (5R01HL112818-02)
Topics: Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Obesity and Health Practices
Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Eating Disorders and Behaviors
Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Social and Intergroup Psychology
Keywords: weight stigma, social identity threat, weight gain, obesity, overweight, mental health, physical health, physiological stress, self-regulation, stigma avoidance, social identity

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Weighed Down by Stigma: How Weight‐Based Social Identity Threat Contributes to Weight Gain and Poor Health

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