Addressing weight stigma and weight based discrimination in children: preparing pediatricians to meet the challenge

Overweight and obesity affects more than 17% of children worldwide. In the European region, one in three children between the ages of 6 and 9 is currently overweight or obese), while in the United States, childhood obesity rates have tripled over the past three decades and currently about one in three children is overweight or obese). The prevalence of obesity in the population aged 2 to 19 years residing in the United States during 2017-2020 was 19.7%, affecting about 14.7 million children and adolescents). Overweight and obese children and adolescents are often stigmatized by peers and viewed negatively because of their distinguishing characteristic, which is considered by many a social disadvantage. Weight stigma has important social implications and can hamper the success of anti-obesity treatments. Children and adolescents are particularly vulnerable to the negative consequences of weight stigma in their families and communities. Discrimination against children based on weight is equal to that of other types of stigma, including that based on race, religion or physical disability). This commentary, prepared by a working group of international experts in the field convened by the European Pediatric Association, Union of National Pediatric Societies and Associations (EPA-UNEPSA), aims to raise awareness of weight stigma and its negative effects on children and adolescents and to emphasize the importance for pediatricians to be adequately trained to address this challenge in their practice.