The idea that the causes of obesity depend on individuals’ faults, such as laziness and gluttony, provides the foundation for stigma against obesity.
In fact, studies show that causal attributions of personal responsibility for obesity are associated with stronger weight bias, whereas lower levels of weight-based stigma are associated with stronger beliefs in genetic/physiological or environmental causes of obesity.
The absence of policies to prohibit weight discrimination communicates a message that weight stigma is acceptable and tolerable, thus reinforcing weight-based inequities.
