Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the report by Sarah E. Jackson et al. published by University College London <i>Perceived Weight Discrimination and Changes in Weight, Waist Circumference, and Weight Status</i>, which referred to negative attitudes towards obese individuals as a form of discrimination.

The Government welcomes the report by Sarah Jackson and colleagues as a contribution to our knowledge and understanding of this important area. Obese people often face negative and discriminatory attitudes. While obesity is not a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010, if obesity results in long term physical or mental impairment (as set out in Section 6 of the 2010 Act) then the person with the impairment will be protected from unlawful discrimination under this Act. The Government Equalities Office runs a body image programme, which aims to raise awareness and understanding of body image, promote the positive representation of a healthy diversity of body types, and support young people’s resilience and media literacy. Obesity is a considerable problem for public health, and the Government is committed to tackling this through its national obesity strategy. Public Health England also works to promote good body image along with healthy lifestyles.

Many of those who react negatively to obese individuals justify doing so by alluding to rising rates of obesity. There is a growing body of evidence demonstrating that good body image is an important motivator in achieving and sustaining a healthy weight – and, conversely, that low body confidence is associated with continued weight gain. The Government’s Change4Life campaign does not engage in fat shaming or denigration of obese people; it encourages all of us to take steps to improve our health and wellbeing and adopt a healthier diet, starting from wherever we are.

In 2013 the Government Equalities Office hosted a multidisciplinary academic seminar that explored these issues, and the body image programme continues to contribute to the Department of Health’s important work on obesity.