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Weight stigma in healthcare settings is detrimental to health and must be eradicated

Nature Reviews Endocrinology volume 18, pages 387–388 (2022)Cite this article

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A large body of indisputable evidence shows that a certain treatment, commonly advocated by all healthcare professionals for a highly prevalent chronic medical condition, is associated with detrimental effects on health and an increased risk of mortality. This ‘treatment’, which needs eradicating from healthcare settings, is weight stigma.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Obesity Research, University College London, London, UK

    Rachel L. Batterham

  2. Bariatric Centre for Weight Management and Metabolic Surgery, University College London Hospital NHS Trust, London, UK

    Rachel L. Batterham

  3. UCLH Biomedical Research Centre, National Institute of Health Research, London, UK

    Rachel L. Batterham

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  1. Rachel L. Batterham
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Correspondence to Rachel L. Batterham.

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Competing interests

R.L.B. is a trustee of the Obesity Empowerment Network UK, a trustee of the Association for the Study of Obesity, a committee member of the British Obesity and Metabolic Surgery Society, a committee member of the National Bariatric Surgery Registry and a special advisor for obesity for the Royal College of Physicians.

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Batterham, R.L. Weight stigma in healthcare settings is detrimental to health and must be eradicated. Nat Rev Endocrinol 18, 387–388 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41574-022-00686-3

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