Obesity Association Publishes Weight Stigma, Bias Standards

Medscape

20-05-2025

New standards on weight stigma and bias in overweight and obesity were published recently the Obesity Association, a division of the American Diabetes Association (ADA).
The recommendations, developed by the Obesity Association's Professional Practice Committee, make up the first of several chapters to be published as part of the organization's Standards of Care in Overweight and Obesity. The introduction and methodology sections of the standards were published as well.
The ADA brought together 'an interdisciplinary panel of experts — spanning obesity medicine specialists, primary care, endocrinology, cardiology, nephrology, hepatology, surgery, pediatrics, emergency medicine, and more — to create authoritative guidance,' Nuha El Sayed, MD, the ADA's senior vice president of healthcare improvement told Medscape Medical News .
The new standards 'build on a legacy of professional practice guidelines previously developed by expert organizations,' and so should not create confusion, she said. To ensure the recommendations reflect consensus across the field, collaborating organizations include the American Board of Obesity Medicine Foundation, Obesity Medicine Association, Obesity Action Coalition, The Obesity Society, and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.
The new standards will include updates to previous topics, while creating recommendations to guide new topics related to screening, diagnostic, and therapeutic interventions that affect the health outcomes of people living with obesity.
Furthermore, she said, 'they will address the prevention, screening, diagnosis, and management of weight-related complications.'
Key Recommendations
Key recommendations from the new standards include:
Training: Healthcare professionals and staff should receive ongoing education on weight bias and stigma beginning in early career and continuing throughout their careers.
Inclusive clinical environments: Clinics should be equipped with appropriate furniture, equipment, and private accommodations that support people of all sizes.
Person-centered communication: Healthcare professionals are urged to use respectful, non-judgmental language and to ask permission before discussing weight-related issues.
Shared decision-making: Healthcare professionals are encouraged to align care goals with a patient's values, recognizing health outcomes beyond just weight loss.
Evidence-based interventions: The guidelines support multicomponent strategies, such as role-play, self-reflection, and patient engagement, to reduce implicit and explicit bias effectively.
'Individuals with obesity should feel comfortable in healthcare settings,' El Sayed said. 'This guidance represents a call to action to eliminate the stigmatizing practices that still persist across healthcare systems.'
To help raise awareness, ADA is providing continuing medical education on reducing weight bias and stigma in obesity care.
The Standards of Care in Overweight and Obesity is funded by ADA general revenue. No expert panel members were employees of any pharmaceutical or medical device company during the development of the 2025 Standards of Care. Members of the PPC, subject matter experts, their employers, and their disclosed potential dualities of interest are listed in each section manuscript.