From education to patient care: the impact of weight stigma in healthcare.

This scoping review explored the literature about weight stigma in healthcare education and patient care and how it may impact individuals living in larger bodies. Two databases, MGH OneSearch and PubMed, were utilized, focusing on research published from 2013 to 2023 in English. A total of 18 articles were identified and used for this review. Evidence indicated that healthcare providers stigmatize patients living in larger bodies, both implicitly and explicitly. Studies found that medical students preferred thin patients and had strong anti-fat bias (P < 0.001). Weight bias in healthcare can lead to discrimination, impacting patients' mental and physical well-being, including heightened stress, altered caloric intake, fluctuations in body size, and declining overall health. The impact of weight stigma in healthcare is recognized but understudied. This review suggests that believing weight is within patient control fosters blame and stigma. Learning about weight stigma and developing nonstigmatizing education for healthcare students and providers should be a priority. Understanding how weight stigma may delay healthcare and increase chronic illness risk could encourage more compassionate care for patients in larger bodies.