Promoting a Resistant Stance Toward Weight Stigma

Abstract

This chapter aims to provide guidance on resisting weight stigma from societal and individual perspectives. It begins with an overview of weight stigma and internalized weight stigma. As an important next step, it proposes societal-level solutions for lowering weight stigma, particularly within the health and educational fields. It details the ways in which public health and media-based campaigns could reduce weight stigma and how changes to the legal system could protect individuals who experience weight-based discrimination. It then provides an overview of resistance organizations like the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance and Health at Every Size. Next, it emphasizes the cultivation of protective factors, such as body image flexibility and self-compassion, and coping strategies for resisting the adverse impacts of weight stigma, such as protective filtering and social activism. Last, this chapter examines implications for resisting weight stigma within treatment and prevention efforts while providing directions for future work.