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Science Weight and racial prejudices found to be equally common
Science Weight and racial prejudices found to be equally common | Weight and racial prejudices found to be equally common |
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| by William Atkins | |
| Saturday, 29 March 2008 | |
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Page 1 of 2 Researchers at the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, at Yale University (New Haven, Connecticut), used data from the "National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States." They sampled 2,290 U.S. English-speaking adults from 1995 to 1996, who were 25 to 74 years of age, with respect to reports of being discriminated against due to weight, race, and/or gender. The study discovered that women are twice as likely as men to report weight discrimination. According to the researchers, their conclusion was: "The prevalence of weight/height discrimination ranged from 5% among men to 10% among women, but these average percentages obscure the much higher risk of weight discrimination among heavier individuals (40% for adults with body mass index (BMI) of 35 and above)." They added, "Younger individuals with a higher BMI had a particularly high risk of weight/height discrimination regardless of their race, education and weight status. Women were at greater risk for weight/height discrimination than men, especially women with a BMI of 30–35 who were three times more likely to report weight/height discrimination compared to male peers of a similar weight." In fact, women begin to notice discrimination in the workplace and at public functions when their body mass index (BMI) reaches a level of 27. However, men, on average, do not notice the same obesity prejudices until their BMI reaches 35. Body mass index (BMI), or the Quetelet Index, is a scientific measure of body fat based on height and weight. It is defined as body weight divided by the square of height, and measured in kilograms per meters squared (or pounds per inches squared). Basically, a BMI measurement of: less than 16.5 is considered Starvation and between 16.5 and 18.5 is deemed Underweight. A normal BMI rating is from 18.5 to 25. A BMI measurement of 25 to 30 is considered Overweight; 30 to 35 is Obese; 35 to 40 is Clinically Obese; and above 40 Morbidly Obese. Rates of obesity in the United States are trending upward. In 1994, about 59% of American men and 49% of American women had BMIs over 25, while 2% of men and 4% of women had BMI levels above 40. Since then, these figures steadily climbed. An author of the study, Tatiana Andreyeva, Yale University, states that weight discrimination is more common than such discriminations as gender, ethnicity, physical disabilities, and religious beliefs. She states, “However, despite its high prevalence, it continues to remain socially acceptable.” [Science Daily: “Weight Bias Is As Prevalent As Racial Discrimination, Study Suggests”] American research scientist Rebecca M. Publ, another author of the study, states, "These results show the need to treat weight discrimination as a legitimate form of prejudice, comparable to other characteristics like race or gender that already receive legal protection.” [Science Daily] The conclusion of the study (entitled "Perceptions of weight discrimination: prevalence and comparison to race and gender discrimination in America") was published March 4, 2008, in the International Journal of Obesity. The authors of the study include R.M. Puhl, T. Andreyeval, and K.D. Brownell, all from the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University. This article was based on the Yale University article “Yale Study Shows Weight Bias Is as Prevalent as Racial Discrimination ” by Jacqueline Weaver. What do other scientists say on obesity discrimination? Please read on. |
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