Female Obesity and Physical Activity: A Better Understanding of the Stakes Linked to Stigmatization

Résumé 0

Obesity remains a major public health concern in Western societies. In most industrialized countries, this condition, which is now associated with numerous chronic diseases and incapacities, is more prevalent in women than in men. While regular physical activity is highly recommended in the management of obesity, very few obese women invest in regular physical activity. Various social factors have been identified as influencing investment in preventive health practices such as physical activity. Weight stigmatization is now considered to be one of them. In order to contribute to a better understanding of the factors related to the investment of obese women in physical activity, this narrative review will focus on the stigmatization of obesity as a potential factor compromising their investment in regular physical activity and threatening their health. Messages from public health and exercise specialists targeting obesity have been recognized as contributing to weight stigmatization and Western women are more vulnerable than men to this type of discrimination. The authors discuss the various alternatives allowing public health and exercise professionals to review some of their interventions in order to help decrease weight stigmatization and its impacts on obese women in Western societies. Health and exercise professionals are influent actors who can collaborate in such initiatives in order to improve health and wellbeing of obese women.