An update on research examining the implications of stigma for access to and utilization of bariatric surgery

To summarize recent literature examining the relationship between stigma and utilization of surgical treatments for obesity.

The stigma of obesity and stigma associated with surgical treatments for obesity can affect both healthcare providers' recommendations of these options and patients' likelihood of considering and choosing these treatments. Presurgical requirements of healthcare and insurance organizations and a lack of postsurgical support reflect the stigmatizing attitudes that bariatric/metabolic surgery is an 'easy fix' and 'last resort' for patients too undisciplined to lose weight in other ways.

Here we review the literature published in the last year that addresses the implications of stigma for the utilization and outcomes of surgical treatments for obesity.