06/29/2018 - Weight discrimination and bullying

Ryan presented on a review of weight discrimination and bullying by Rebecca Puhl and Kelly King. A few notable points:

• CDC definition of overweight & obese are based on BMI (height & weight), which doesn't account for body composition

• 49 states and federal law do not protect against weight discrimination (a small list of places that do are Michigan, DC, & some cities)

• Overweight individuals tend to experience discrimination in the form of micro-aggressions in healthcare, such as unpleasant comments or reactions from providers, lack of follow up visits. Treating obesity as a disease & self-control issue could be part of the problem.

• Weight discrimination can limit opportunities for overweight individuals, in interviews and job security. Overweight students (especially who are women) tend to get lower grades in the case of more "subjective" grading (essay response, etc.)

You can find the review here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23731874

We took some time to reflect on how we can be more aware of and avoid weight discrimination in our academic community. One discussion point was whether homework/exams should be graded anonymously. While this may reduce discrimination, it makes it hard for instructors to get to know their students and how they learn. In the very least, an equity statement on syllabi should include discrimination based on weight. We have some examples of syllabus statements in our resources for instructors page.