06/12/2025
Weight bias is a social justice and human rights issue — and despite decades of research, it remains deeply entrenched across healthcare, workplaces, education, policy, and daily life.
The 2024 International Weight Bias Summit brought together 33 global experts, clinicians, organizational leaders, and individuals with lived experience to identify what needs to happen next to reduce weight stigma in meaningful, system-level ways.
Six key research priorities emerged:
1. Consequences of weight bias & stigma
2. Conceptual & methodological clarity
3. Diversity in sampling, cultures & settings
4. Interventions
5. Policy
6. Implementation science
And three major barriers continue to hold the field back:
• Misconceptions and lack of recognition of weight bias as a legitimate issue
• Limited funding
• Working in silos rather than in coordinated, global collaboration
The message was clear: weight bias isn’t just harmful — it is preventable. But progress requires international collaboration, stronger evidence, inclusive research, and policies that protect people from discrimination.
We’re grateful to see this work moving forward. Now, the challenge is turning these priorities into action.
