Weight Stigma Resources

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It's important for us to be aware of the ways in which our actions can either create or reduce stigma when talking about the issue of weight. In this section we have provided links to resources which help to improve communications on weight, both in clinical and media environments. We ask anyone involved in public health and the wider media to familiarise themselves with this content in order to reduce weight stigma in your day to day practice.

Public Health Scotland - Challenging weight stigma learning hub

This short online course provides an evidence-based overview of weight stigma. It touches on why stigma undermines public health goals and how we can improve outcomes for people with a higher weight. The course is mainly targeted at health professionals, however it is a great resource for any individual or group interested in weight stigma and public health communications. 

                        

 

Framing in the media - toolkit

The current narrative in the mainstream media is one of the biggest drivers of weight stigma in the UK and Scotland. News items which focus on overweight and obesity are often very negative and place blame on individuals and parents. This narrative, however, does not align with the evidence on interventions to improve people's health, where structural and environmental changes are shown to be most effective. In this toolkit, created by Impact on Urban Health and Frameworks, you can learn about the most impactful ways of communicating the issue of childhood obesity to reduce stigma and increase public support for change.

                           

 

Non-stigmatising image banks

ECPO image bank / The World Obesity image bank

Another issue with the wider media reporting on overweight and obesity is the common use of stigmatising imagery. Images which are unflattering are often used, as well as pictures which don't show people's faces. This practice further worsens stigmatising narratives by conveying people with obesity as unattractive and as a separate group of people to everybody else. 

In order to address this and provide media outlets with an alternative, a number of obesity-related organisations have created non-stigmatising image banks which are free to use. All individuals pictured in the banks consented to their image to be used and reproduced. Please make use of resources like these when reporting on overweight and obesity in public communications.

                           

       

Guidelines for Media Portrayals of Individuals Affected by Obesity   

An evidence-based guidance published by obesity organisations from the USA which covers best practices and non-stigmatising approaches to reporting.            

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OAS Position Statement