March 19, 2013 - [Overweight patients are not the only ones who suffer weight stigmatization in the doctor's office](http://www.yaleruddcenter.org/resources/upload/docs/what/bias/Stigma_Physician_Weight_IJO_3.13.pdf), according to a study published by the Rudd Center. Physicians who are overweight or obese are vulnerable to biased attitudes from patients which could interfere with quality of care. The findings, published in the _International Journal of Obesity_, show that a provider's excess weight negatively affects patients' perceptions of his or her credibility, level of trust, and inclination to follow medical advice.
Previous research in the journal Obesity has documented [negative stigma by health providers toward overweight and obese patients](http://www.yaleruddcenter.org/resources/upload/docs/what/bias/WeightBiasStudy.pdf), but this is the first study to examine whether physicians themselves are vulnerable to the same weight bias from patients.
URL: http://www.yaleruddcenter.org/overweight-physicians-are-vulnerable-to-weight-bias
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