NHS needs to change debate around obesity

A leading health psychologist has stressed that the NHS needs to do more to address the ingrained stigma and discrimination faced by people with obesity.

Stuart Flint, Associate Professor in the Psychology of Obesity at the University of Leeds, says that although it is a problem rooted in wider society, negative attitudes around weight gain are pervasive in the NHS and they can affect the way patients are treated.

The All Party Parliamentary Group on Obesity has reported that only one in four people with obesity said they were being treated with dignity and respect by health professionals when they sought advice or treatment for their weight. Flint also says that many people hold stereotypes where they believe individuals are responsible for their own weight gain because they are either lazy or greedy.

Writing in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology journal, he said: “A core value of the NHS is to provide a comprehensive service that is available to all. Despite this core value, many processes prevent it from being achieved. For instance, weight stigma and discrimination are common within healthcare settings and affect the quality of care that patients receive.

“Attributions of personal responsibility can lead to bias … with a person’s health status perceived to be within an individual’s control, which leads to fault and blame.”

Flint also compared the narrative around obesity with that for cancer in the NHS long-term plan, highlighting that the language and framing of obesity may also contribute to weight stigma. For example, people with cancer are discussed as survivors whereas obesity is seen as a burden.