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Obesity as a disability - A representative survey of individuals with obesity from Germany
Claudia Luck-Sikorski1, Steffi G Riedel-Heller2
1Institute of Social Medicine, Occupational Health and Public Health (ISAP), University of Leipzig, Philipp-Rosenthal-Str. 55, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; Leipzig University Medical Center, IFB Adiposity Diseases, Philipp-Rosenthal-Str. 27, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; SRH University of Applied Sciences, Neue Str. 28-30, 07548 Gera, Germany.
Background:
While obesity can be an antecedent of disability and the prevalence of disabilities in increased in individuals with obesity, it has been highly debated whether obesity itself should be considered a disability. The European Court of justice has set a precedent in 2014, ruling that severe forms of obesity qualify for protection under the disability protection legislation. However, attitudes and opinions of those affected have not been investigated yet.
Objective:
To study attitudes of people with obesity regarding the acknowledgment of obesity as a disability.
Methods:
Cross-sectional analysis of a population-based study from Germany, conducted in 2015, in n = 1000 individuals with obesity.
Results:
We find that 38.2% of all respondents agreed that obesity ought to be considered a disability. In logistic regression analyses, heavier participants expressed a higher support of obesity seen as a disability, regardless of perceived discrimination experiences (ΔOR = 1.54, p = 0.427). Experiences of perceived discrimination were associated with a higher approval of obesity as a disability in individuals with class II obesity (OR = 2.07, p = 0.002) compared to respondents with less severe obesity.
Conclusion:
These findings go in line with the European Court of Justice's ruling, where it is stated that only severe forms of obesity qualify for protection under the disability legislation. The results underline the importance of considering adding weight to anti-discrimination legislation.
