Weight Bias Education in Medical Training: Insights from Stakeholder Perspectives

Weight bias among physicians remains a significant barrier to equitable healthcare for patients with obesity. One possible contributing factor is the absence of a structured curriculum addressing weight bias within medical education.

This project explored medical students' and faculty members' understanding of weight bias and identified gaps within the medical school curriculum. Participants' responses were subsequently used to inform the development of e-learning modules for implementation within a medical school curriculum. Semi-structured focus groups were conducted with stakeholders, including medical students and faculty from a private osteopathic school of medicine. Transcripts of these discussions were analyzed using Colaizzi's method for qualitative analysis.

Five key themes emerged: (1) curricular gaps and structural barriers to comprehensive weight bias and obesity education, (2) impact of clinical exposure on reinforcing or challenging bias, (3) need for targeted communication and clinical skills training, (4) value of experiential and interactive learning modalities, and (5) empathy, bias awareness, and holistic understanding of obesity.

These findings highlight the need and desire for structured education on weight bias during medical school. Results also identified preferred educational features within an e-learning context that can deliver impactful and engaging education. Integrating targeted e-learning and experiential strategies into the medical school curriculum is a promising educational modality to improve core knowledge, build empathy, and improve communication techniques, promoting an inclusive, patient-centered focus among future physicians when treating patients with obesity.