What Is Internalised Weight Stigma?
Weight stigma (also known as weight discrimination or weight-based bias), is discrimination, negative judgements or stereotyping based solely on a person’s weight. We wrote about this in detail in one of our previous blog posts.
Weight stigma can also be internalised, known as internalised weight stigma (IWS), which is where individuals judge themselves through the lens of false and harmful stereotypes about individuals in larger bodies e.g. believing that they are personally responsible for their weight or lazy, greedy, out of control or “unhealthy".
Internalised weight stigma is not only awareness or endorsement of negative stereotypes, but it also includes applying those negative attributes to yourself and subsequently devaluing yourself because of it.
IWS can impact individuals in ALL body sizes. For example, if we deviate from a certain way of eating we may berate ourselves for being out of control or greedy. It’s no wonder that IWS is connected to the development of disordered eating and eating disorders.
In their research into the multifaceted nature of weight-related self-stigma, Meadows and Higgs explain that while IWS does include a component of negative appearance evaluation (specific to facets of body image related to weight), there is additionally a strong element of self-blame involved. For example, while one might have poor body image related to a specific body part, such as height, or a disliked facial feature, this is unlikely to be tainted by a belief that one is to blame for that aspect of one’s appearance. Whereas, in IWS there is a lot of self-blame.
IWS is a self-directed attitude, whereas anti-fat attitudes generally pertain to evaluations of fat others. Thus, IWS is related to, but distinct from, the constructs of body image, self-esteem, and attitudes toward other high-weight individuals.
Studies have suggested IWS as a mechanism through which experienced weight stigma exacerbates adverse health behaviours, potentially through low self-esteem and basing one’s value on body weight. Research has identified IWS as a significant contributor to poor emotional and physical health, including disordered eating, stress, anxiety, depression, binge eating, metabolic dysfunction, and social isolation. As IWS can impact individuals of all body sizes, these adverse effects can occur independently of experienced weight stigma.
In an episode on the podcast Body Kindness, Rebecca Scritchfield, author of ‘Body Kindness’ speaks with Angela Meadows Ph.D, founder of the Annual International Weight Stigma Conference, about weight stigma and IWS. They discuss how those with IWS will walk through the day anticipating threat and stigma, even if nobody is overtly discriminating against them. Angela also mentions how IWS can harm health as it elevates a person’s worry and anxiety about how they will be treated by people and the physical spaces in this world (i.e. comfortable seats on public transport and restaurants - or the right to sit).
Ashlee Bennett, the author of 'The Art of Body Acceptance, explains that IWS beliefs are based on fat stereotypes instead of objective facts, they lack the nuance, complexity and context to adopt as a reasonable personal belief. Ashlee suggests unpacking these beliefs by asking ourselves:
‘Is the story I’m telling myself right now based on a fat stereotype?
How could what I’m believing about myself right now be seen from another perspective?
Is it true that all thin people are disciplined?
What are all the factors that actually determine someone’s body size?
Could I be simplifying this too much?
Can I recall some examples of times I have shown discipline in other areas of my life?.’
There are many ways to poke holes in IWS beliefs as they are usually oversimplified because they are taken from false and harmful stereotypes, without any critical reflection or reasonable evidence of that ‘truth’. You are so much more than a stereotype. You are so much more than what your body looks like.