Dr. Ian Patton of Obesity Canada was teased and bullied as a young person because of his weight, resulting in “internalized bias” that continued into adulthood.PHOTO ILLUSTRATION. Source files: Shay Conroy
Growing up, Dr. Ian Patton was always conscious of the fact that people looked at him differently because of his size. He says it felt like a challenging conundrum to live with as a young person: On the one hand, he was appreciated for his size and weight when playing team sports. But outside of that realm, he was teased and bullied for being bigger.
“It was made very clear by my schoolmates and even adults that my body was a problem. As I got a bit older, in my university and adult years, I was still a pretty active and confident individual, so I did alright socially. But it was more the internalized bias and the feelings I had about myself that created problems for me,” he says.
While doing his graduate studies in kinesiology, Dr. Patton recalls being terrified of breaking the chair he was sitting in, but not feeling comfortable to speak up about it because he didn’t think he could. Now, as the director of advocacy and public engagement for Obesity Canada, Dr. Patton wants to raise awareness of how damaging obesity-related bias can be, particularly in a career context.
The fear of being bullied and judged by colleagues can affect individuals’ sense of self-worth, impair their mental health and impede career growth, Dr. Patton says. The first step in tackling obesity-related bias is to recognize what obesity is and what it isn’t.
“Obesity is not just about weight and size,” he says. “It is a complex, chronic disease where excess or abnormal adipose tissue (body fat) impairs your health. This part is important, because there are many individuals who might have a larger body and have a higher BMI (body mass index) and they wouldn’t clinically have obesity as the science community defines it. It goes beyond BMI.”
The next step is to recognize obesity-related bias and where it stems from, says Dr. Patton.
From stigma to discrimination
“Biases are basically shortcuts that our brains take to make really quick judgments, and they can happen both consciously and unconsciously,” says Dr. Dayna Lee-Baggley, a registered psychologist based in Halifax who works with workplaces to create comprehensive mental health and wellness strategies.
Halifax-based registered psychologist Dr. Dayna Lee-Baggley says obesity is a highly stigmatized disease due, in part, to the over-simplification of the disease as a lifestyle choice.Darren Calabrese
Dr. Lee-Baggley explains that stigma occurs when those biases turn into stereotypes that people then apply to individuals. Obesity is a highly stigmatized disease due, in part, to the over-simplification of the disease as lifestyle choice, when in fact it is a progressive health condition caused by many factors including genetics, psychological and environmental factors.
“In the workplace, someone might say [an individual with obesity] shouldn’t get promoted because they’re not going to work very hard, they don’t have enough self-discipline or they’re unmotivated,” Dr. Lee-Baggley says. “Then both bias and stigma can turn into discrimination, which is unjust treatment of individuals.”
Intersectionality is an important factor to consider when it comes to obesity-related bias, Dr. Lee-Baggley adds, because women and people who are racialized, LGBTQ+ and/or living with a disability may experience increased bias and inequitable treatment. “There’s a high likelihood of those multiple identities creating even more discrimination and even more barriers for people.”
Systemic change and individualized care
While obesity-related bias is clearly still a pernicious problem in society today, says Dr. Patton, things are changing, particularly in the workplace.
“I remember in my earlier years with different jobs I had, the environment that was challenging,” says Dr. Patton. “Even just the equipment, the chairs and the spaces weren’t designed to accommodate someone with a larger body and so it was really uncomfortable. I was always trying to make myself smaller to fit into certain spaces.”
Now, he’s in an organization that ensures workplace are accommodating for employees of all sizes, whether it’s chairs, bathrooms or workstations. It makes a difference, Dr. Patton says.
Employers need to be supportive by creating a culture of civility and respect, says Stephanie Ipavec-Levasseur, product director, prevention, absenteeism and disability with Desjardins Insurance.
“Organizations need to start by educating [employees and management] on the subject of obesity,” says Ms. Ipavec-Levasseur. “Then, on top of that, build a culture of openness in the workplace.”
Stephanie Ipavec-Levasseur of Desjardins Insurance says employers can share science-backed facts about obesity through training sessions to help reduce bias and stigma.Supplied
Employers can share science-backed facts through training sessions to help destigmatize this chronic health condition, helping to foster more inclusive, body-positive workplaces, she says.
Dr. Lee-Baggley notes that it’s important to embed these values into the culture, so that efforts to reduce stigma don’t rely solely on workplace champions. Because obesity stigma is a widespread societal issue with devastating effects on individuals, organizations must take a two-pronged approach to eliminating it in the workplace, she says. “We need to target both at a systemic level and an individual level.”
Organizations should provide a group insurance plan that supports the all-around well-being of their employees, says Ms. Ipavec-Levasseur. Living with obesity can have multiple negatives effects on mental health, including depression, anxiety, low self-esteem and disordered eating.
“People often need to have a multidisciplinary team providing care and support,” says Ms. Ipavec-Levasseur. “That means access to nutritionists, kinesiologists, a psychologist or psychotherapist or other professionals they think they might need.”
In order to ensure group benefit packages do not limit employees’ access to care, she adds, employers should provide supports that don’t require payment upfront. For example, an EAP (employee assistance program) is an excellent way to provide quick and free access to mental health professionals.
Dr. Patton says it’s been encouraging to see attitudes about obesity evolving in recent years. “More and more workplaces are reaching out [to Obesity Canada] and asking us how to do things better,” he says, such as reviewing organizations’ language and imagery to make sure they are inclusive.
“I think there has been a shift,” Dr. Patton says. “And with all the increased attention [on obesity] that we’re seeing in the news and on social media, I think we’ll see even more of a shift towards people understanding obesity better.”
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