Weight bias among health care professionals: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

Blake J. Lawrence; Deborah Kerr; Christina M. Pollard; Mary Theophilus; Elise Alexander; Darren Haywood; Moira O’Connor

doi:10.1002/oby.23266

journal article Sep 06, 2021

Weight bias among health care professionals: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

Blake J. Lawrence

Deborah Kerr Christina M. Pollard Mary Theophilus Elise Alexander Darren Haywood

Moira O’Connor

Obesity Vol. 29 No. 11 pp. 1802-1812 · Wiley

View at Publisher Save 10.1002/oby.23266

Abstract

AbstractObjectiveWeight‐biased attitudes and views held by health care professionals can have a negative impact on the patient‐provider relationship and the provision of care, but studies have found mixed results about the extent and nature of bias, which warrants a review of the evidence.MethodsA systematic review and random‐effects meta‐analysis were conducted by including studies up to January 12, 2021.ResultsA total of 41 studies met inclusion criteria, with 17 studies providing sufficient data to be meta‐analyzed. A moderate pooled effect (standardized mean difference = 0.66; 95% CI: 0.37‐0.96) showed that health care professionals demonstrate implicit weight bias. Health care professionals also report explicit weight bias on the Fat Phobia Scale, Antifat Attitudes Scale, and Attitudes Towards Obese Persons Scale. Findings show that medical doctors, nurses, dietitians, psychologists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech pathologists, podiatrists, and exercise physiologists hold implicit and/or explicit weight‐biased attitudes toward people with obesity. A total of 27 different outcomes were used to measure weight bias, and the overall quality of evidence was rated as very low.ConclusionsFuture research needs to adopt more robust research methods to improve the assessment of weight bias and to inform future interventions to address weight bias among health care professionals.

Topics

No keywords indexed for this article. Browse by subject →

References

93

[1]

10.1016/j.orcp.2017.10.002

[2]

10.1056/nejmsa1909301

[3]

10.1001/jamacardio.2018.0022

[4]

10.1093/eurheartj/ehu123

[5]

10.1016/j.metabol.2018.11.001

[6]

10.1186/s12916-018-1116-5

[7]

10.1111/jan.13511

[8]

10.1002/oby.21187

[9]

10.1038/s41366-020-0632-5

[10]

10.1038/oby.2011.204

[11]

10.1371/journal.pone.0070048

[12]

10.1037/amp0000538

[13]

10.1038/s41591-020-0803-x

[14]

Brownell KD (2005)

[15]

10.1111/obr.12343

[16]

10.1177/0956797615601103

[17]

10.1017/s0033291715000653

[18]

10.1007/s12160-016-9831-7

[19]

10.1186/1471-2458-11-513

[20]

Implicit and Explicit Anti-Fat Bias among a Large Sample of Medical Doctors by BMI, Race/Ethnicity and Gender

Janice A. Sabin, Maddalena Marini, Brian A. Nosek

PLoS ONE 10.1371/journal.pone.0048448

[21]

10.1111/jan.14205

[22]

10.1002/osp4.83

[23]

10.1016/j.jphys.2014.06.020

[24]

10.1037/0735-7028.22.3.223

[25]

10.1111/obr.12743

[26]

10.1136/bmj.g3178

[27]

10.1017/s1463423619000227

[28]

10.1001/archfami.3.10.888

[29]

10.1002/cncr.23408

[30]

10.1111/obr.12266

[31]

10.1016/j.metabol.2018.10.007

[32]

10.1001/jamapediatrics.2013.4944

[33]

10.1007/s13679-020-00400-2

[34]

10.1111/obr.12197

[35]

10.1007/s11606-009-1104-8

[36]

10.1038/oby.2005.198

[37]

10.1159/000475716

[38]

Al‐Muraikhi AE "Primary care physicians' knowledge, attitude, and practice toward obesity management in Qatar" Middle East Journal of Family Medicine (2008)

[39]

10.1016/s2213-8587(20)30073-5

[40]

McArthur LH "Attitudes of registered dietitians toward personal overweight and overweight clients" J Acad Nutr Diet (1997)

[41]

10.1080/10640260590919134

[42]

10.1016/j.nurpra.2019.10.025

[43]

Nair SC "Higher physician body mass index is associated with increased weight bias in an Arab country with high prevalence of obesity" Int J Prev Med (2019)

[44]

10.1080/10833196.2016.1213976

[45]

10.1016/j.apnr.2009.05.001

[46]

10.1371/journal.pmed.1000097

[47]

10.1002/9780470743386

[48]

H Schunemann J Brozek G Guyatt A Oxman

[49]

10.1016/j.soard.2011.03.008

[50]

TorreyARegistered nurses' attitudes toward obese patients: do nurses' self‐image influence their professional approach? Dissertation Abstracts International: Section B. 2014;74.

Showing 50 of 93 references

Cited By

221

Anti-Obesity Bias Among Surgeons and Association With Clinical Decision Making

Emily R. Burdette, Stefanie Soelling · 2026

Journal of Surgical Education

Definition and diagnostic criteria of clinical obesity

Francesco Rubino, David E Cummings · 2025

The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrino...

How Weight Bias and Stigma Undermine Healthcare Access and Utilization

Rebecca L. Pearl, Miriam Sheynblyum · 2025

Current Obesity Reports

8. Obesity and Weight Management for the Prevention and Treatment of Diabetes: Standards of Care in Diabetes–2026

Mandeep Bajaj, Rozalina G. McCoy · 2025

Diabetes Care

Hyper-Visible Yet Invisible: Exploring the Body Image Experiences of Overweight Women in Everyday Life

Panagiota Tragantzopoulou · 2025

Obesities

Motivational Interviewing (MI) in Obesity Care: Cultivating Person‐Centered and Supportive Clinical Conversations to Reduce Stigma: A Narrative Review

Violeta Moizé, Yitka Graham · 2025

Obesity Science & Practice

8. Obesity and Weight Management for the Prevention and Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes: Standards of Care in Diabetes–2025

Nuha A. ElSayed, Rozalina G. McCoy · 2024

Diabetes Care

Drivers and facilitators of weight stigma among preconception, pregnant, and postpartum women: A systematic review

Haimanot Hailu, Helen Skouteris · 2024

Obesity Reviews

Weight Stigma and Barriers to Effective Obesity Care

Rebecca M. Puhl · 2023

Gastroenterology Clinics of North A...

Medical Nutrition Therapy Interventions Provided by Dietitians for Adult Overweight and Obesity Management: An Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Evidence-Based Practice Guideline

Maria Morgan-Bathke, Hollie A. Raynor · 2023

Journal of the Academy of Nutrition...

Trans/fat: an autoethnographic exploration of becoming at the intersection of trans and fat

Bek J. Orr · 2022

Fat Studies

Metrics

221

Citations

93

References

Details

Published: Sep 06, 2021
Vol/Issue: 29(11)
Pages: 1802-1812
License: View

Authors

B

Blake J. Lawrence

School of Population Health Curtin University Perth Western Australia Australia; Western Australia Cancer Prevention Research Unit Curtin University Perth Western Australia Australia

D

Deborah Kerr

School of Population Health Curtin University Perth Western Australia Australia

C

Christina M. Pollard

School of Population Health Curtin University Perth Western Australia Australia

M

Mary Theophilus

St John of God Hospital Perth Western Australia Australia

E

Elise Alexander

School of Population Health Curtin University Perth Western Australia Australia; Western Australia Cancer Prevention Research Unit Curtin University Perth Western Australia Australia

D

Darren Haywood

School of Population Health Curtin University Perth Western Australia Australia; Western Australia Cancer Prevention Research Unit Curtin University Perth Western Australia Australia

M

Moira O’Connor

School of Population Health Curtin University Perth Western Australia Australia; Western Australia Cancer Prevention Research Unit Curtin University Perth Western Australia Australia

Cite This Article

Blake J. Lawrence, Deborah Kerr, Christina M. Pollard, et al. (2021). Weight bias among health care professionals: A systematic review and meta‐analysis. Obesity, 29(11), 1802-1812. https://doi.org/10.1002/oby.23266

Weight bias among health care professionals: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

You May Also Like