Study: Men also face weight bias

It’s well-known by now that people are discriminated against because of their weight and that this kind of bias can have devastating consequences, both mentally and physically.

Usually, when people talk about weight stigma, the subjects of this discrimination are women. But what about men? Do they face prejudice and stigma due to weight? Yes, according to new research from the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at the University of Connecticut.

In fact, the data show that men experience this kind of bias at nearly the same rates women do.

The study shows that “we don’t really know about stigma and men,” said Mary Himmelstein, a Rudd Center post-doctoral research associate and the study’s lead author. “It’s not really on our radar.”

More than 1,500 men completed an online survey between July 2015 and October 2016, which asked questions about their demographic characteristics, weight status and dieting behavior, and history of experiencing weight stigma. Researchers found that roughly 40 percent of the men studied experienced weight-related stigma. Those who faced discrimination were typically younger, less likely to be married, more likely to have obesity and more likely to have tried to lose weight in the past year.

Obesity is defined as having a body mass index — a measurement arrived at by dividing a person’s weight in kilograms by the square of height in meters — of more than 30.

The study also showed that weight stigma in men happened most often during adolescence and childhood, and most commonly took the form of verbal mistreatment or teasing.

Researchers did find at least one difference between the bias faced by men and that encountered by women. Typically women experience more discrimination as their body weight increases, whereas, for men, Himmelstein said, the bias seemed to happen in a “U” shape.

“Men who experienced stigma tend to experience when they are underweight or obese, and not as much when they are overweight or a normal weight,” she said.

This could be linked to stereotypes people have about masculinity, Himmelstein said. “One of the stereotypes of obesity is that you’re weak or lazy,” she said.

On the other end of the spectrum, men who are underweight might also be seen as weak because they don’t have much muscle mass, Himmelstein said.

The study indicates that more research needs to be done on men and obesity discrimination and bias, Himmelstein said. “I think we need to replicate what we know about bias in women and see if it’s happening for men,” she said.

Part of the issue might be that men are generally less likely to talk about these issues than women, due to fears about threats to their masculinity, Himmselstein said. “I think in general it is harder for men to admit they’re struggling,” she said.