What are some stereotypes about overweight people?

Caroline M. Apovian, MD

Endocrinology Diabetes & Metabolism

There are very negative stereotypes of overweight people attributed to them just because of their body type. In this video, weight loss specialist Caroline Apovian, MD, describes these stereotypes and how they impact the lives of obese people.

Dr. Ramani Durvasula, PhD

Psychology

Like it or not, most of us make unfair or unwarranted assumptions about overweight people. There are stereotypes about obesity in our culture, and research has shown that people believe overweight and obese people are:

lazy
less intelligent
not successful
unattractive
not likely to be in a relationship

We demonize the overweight, and when it comes to people who are morbidly overweight (weight in excess of 500 or 600 pounds), we view them as oddities.

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Important: This content reflects information from various individuals and organizations and may offer alternative or opposing points of view. It should not be used for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. As always, you should consult with your healthcare provider about your specific health needs.

Obesity

If you have too much body fat, you are obese, just like over 70 million other Americans. It happens because you eat more calories than you use, and your body converts the excess to fat. There are lots of reasons that this can happen. Our lifestyle may lack exercise, we are given portions that are too big and too caloric when we eat, and some of us are just more efficient genetically at converting food into fat.

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