Weight discrimination
Weight-based decisions in health systems are unjustly disadvantaging higher weight people during COVID-19.
Higher weight bodies have been portrayed as a major health problem publicly and in our health system. This is based on assumptions that have been challenged, for example that higher weight people are unhealthy and that weight is in the control of the individual. The resulting stigmatism of weight prejudices higher weight people who are discriminated against in the health system with important differences in treatment options.
Senior Lecturers George Parker (Otago Polytechnic), Cat Pausé (Massey University) and Lesley Gray (University of Otago) have investigated how higher weight people are faring with COVID-19. Their review shows that higher weight has been problematised in the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite a lack of data on the weight of COVID-19 sufferers, it has been assumed and publicly claimed that higher weight is a risk factor for severe COVID-19. As a result fear about COVID-19 is being used to persuade people to lose weight. Where health resources are insufficient to give everyone optimal treatment, there have been examples of weight-based decisions about prioritising patients. Higher BMI is more prevalent in ethnic minority populations and poorer populations, so the attitude to higher weight reinforces underlying inequities. Another issue is that one-size-fits-all protective equipment for COVID-19 does not in fact fit everyone.
Higher weight activists are challenging the discrimination and the underlying assumptions. There are also support groups for higher weight people. COVID-19 will be with us for a long time yet and it is important that decisions about access to health services are evidence-based to ensure health justice.