How Weight Bias and Stigma Undermine Healthcare Access and Utilization.

Purpose of review: To highlight recent evidence of the impact of weight bias and stigma on healthcare access and utilization.

Recent findings: Healthcare access for patients with obesity is limited by weight-discriminatory policies such as body mass index cutoffs and weight loss requirements. These policies are based on flawed justifications without demonstrated medical benefits. Healthcare providers continue to hold negative views of patients with obesity, but recent evidence does not suggest that providers' weight-stigmatizing attitudes affect obesity treatment referrals. With the rise of new anti-obesity medications, more research is needed to understand how weight stigma may or may not affect providers' prescribing behavior and patients' access to this form of treatment. Experienced, anticipated, and internalized weight stigma is associated with patients' avoidance of healthcare and reduced utilization. Weight bias and stigma limit healthcare access and utilization. Structural changes are needed to remove weight-discriminatory barriers to care.