Weight Stigma Experiences and Physical (In)activity: A Biographical Analysis

People with obesity often report experiences of weight-related discrimination. In order to find out how such experiences throughout the life course are related to physical activity behavior, we exploratively studied activity-related biographies of people with obesity from a social constructivist perspective.

We collected biographical data of 30 adults (mean age 37.66 years; 14 males and 16 females) with obesity (average BMI 40.64, including a range from 33 to 58) using a biography visualization tool that allows participants to map developmental courses and critical life experiences over their life course.

Participants remembered a continuous decrease of physical activity from childhood to mid-adulthood. Weight-related discrimination, both in sport and non-sport settings, was especially experienced in adolescence and mid-adulthood. Against the background of our findings, we assume that the degree of felt stigma rather than the stigmatizing behavior itself influences physical activity behavior over the life course.

The results of our exploratory study reiterate the detrimental effect weight stigma can have on health behaviors. Initiatives are needed to reduce weight stigma in exercise contexts; additionally, initiatives to promote physical activity should focus on helping individuals with obesity to establish coping strategies to reduce the experienced burden from weight stigma.