Experiences of weight-based oppression in Qatar

Abstract

Introduction: Weight-based oppression is a widespread phenomenon in Western countries. External sources of weight-based oppression include exposure to stigmatizing or exclusionary social, cultural, economic, political and built environments, weight bias and discrimination, and weight-based bullying and violence. Internal sources of weight-based oppression are the internalized negative attitudes, values and beliefs people hold about body weight. Weight-based oppression is associated with a range of psychological, physiological and behavioral harms such as depression, anxiety, disordered eating, hypertension, allostatic load, cortisol reactivity and oxidative stress. Research on weight-based oppression is largely absent from the Arab region. The objectives of the study were to examine the internalized attitudes, values and beliefs related to body weight, and experiences of external weight based oppression, including teasing, bullying, stigmatization, and discrimination among staff, faculty and students at Qatar University. Methods: We conducted in-depth semi-structured interviews with 29 participants (25 females) aged 18 to 53 years who were recruited using convenience and snowball sampling. Thematic analysis was used to identify major themes. Results: Internal and external weight-based oppression were experienced by all participants and regarded as so common in Arabic culture as to be normative. There were five major themes that related to the various types of weight based oppression experiences, internalized feelings about weight based oppression, and the timing, source and impact of weight based oppression. Conclusion: Weight-based oppression in the Arab region is an important and unrecognized public health issue. Programs should be developed to reduce exposure to weight-based oppression in all sectors. Reducing teasing, bullying and negative experiences related to body weight in childhood should be a public health priority.