Research
Adherence
Weight stigma and the perception of being 'too fat' drive dieting behavior, which in turn leads to obesity, regardless of actual BMI.
Recognize that feeling 'too fat' is often a result of social stigma, not health risk. This perception drives dieting, which the paper identifies as a primary cause of obesity. Addressing the stigma and stopping the dieting cycle is key to weight stability.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
Weight stigma, the perception of being fat, lack of understanding of normal growth and development, and increased concern about obesity... have reinforced each other to promote dieting.
Why this rating
Supported by multiple longitudinal studies and cross-sectional analyses cited in the paper.
Source
Integrating Fundamental Concepts of Obesity and Eating Disorders: Implications for the Obesity Epidemic
Ann E. Macpherson-Sánchez · American Journal of Public Health · 2015
DOI 10.2105/ajph.2014.302507
narrative_reviewCited 46×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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