The social and physical consequences of weight stigma in obese adolescents – primary care view

Negative attitudes regarding obese adolescents are learned early in life. Weight stigmatizing experiences occur frequently in the context of personal relationships with peers, teachers, family members, and health professionals. Adolescents’ weight stigma is insufficiently considered in the obesity’s management, and this contributes to negative health outcomes and behaviors that act as obesogenic factors into adulthood. Primary care professionals provide opportunity for translating expert recommendations for healthy behavior changes of obese adolescents, having facilities and staff to implement them in the community. However, comprehensive programs for controlling body weight and stigmatizing obese adolescents are not sufficiently addressed in primary care because they require psycho-educational skills development and dedicated time. In the framework of the curricular reform of the family medicine residency program a study design in the community served by the family physician trainer and carried out with the family medicine residents involvement was included. We describe an integrative community-based educational program dedicated to the social and physical health consequences of obese adolescents’ weight stigma that should be implemented in primary care. Conclusions. Psycho-educational skills development in the future family doctors training will lead to greater efficacy in addressing emotional needs of obese adolescents. Their increased involvement in counseling parents will help better cope with their children's eating disorders and weight-based victimization.