BookR: School of Health Core Facilities Booking

Background: Weight bias is a social justice issue that manifests in social and health inequities, affecting the lives of millions of individuals globally. Although weight bias research has increased over the last two decades, it remains pervasive, and more work is needed to establish effective strategies to reduce it. The 2024 International Weight Bias Summit aimed to collaboratively identify future research directions for prioritization as well as perceived barriers in the global field of weight bias and stigma. This paper presents the primary findings from the Summit.

Method: Experts in weight bias (N = 33 researchers, clinicians, representatives of professional/national organizations with interests in weight bias and stigma, and individuals with lived experiences) from across North and Latin America, Europe, and Australia attended the two-day Summit. Attendees participated in semi-structured small group discussions using the Nominal Group Technique (NGT). Notes were collected from all discussions and thematically analyzed to identify the most prominent research directions and barriers that emerged from the Summit.

Results: Experts identified six key research directions (presented without hierarchical ranking): (1) consequences of weight bias, (2) conceptual and methodological clarity, (3) diversity in sampling, cultures, and settings, (4) interventions, (5) policy, and (6) implementation science. Three key barriers were also identified in weight bias and stigma research: (1) widespread misconceptions and lack of recognition of weight bias as a legitimate issue, (2) funding challenges, and (3) lack of collaborations and working in silos.

Conclusion: Experts identified six critical research directions that should be prioritized to advance weight bias and stigma research and drive meaningful progress. Continued international collaboration was recognized as essential to driving this work forward.