Internalized Weight Stigma: Prevalence and Association With Psychiatric Disorder Among Overweight and Obese Individuals

Background and objective Unlike weight stigma, internalized weight stigma (IWS) may be a common but still underreported problem. With the recent emergence of studies investigating its various aspects in Arab-speaking countries, there is still scant data on its incidence and severity in the literature. In light of this, the aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of IWS and its association with psychiatric disorders and sociodemographic factors among overweight and obese individuals in a sample from a Saudi population. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among a Saudi population using a convenience sample technique and 868 individuals were enrolled to participate in this study. They were asked to fill out an electronic questionnaire about IWS, demographics, and other parameters such as Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ)-9 and General Anxiety Disorder (GAD)-7. The association was tested using an independent t-test and chi-square test. Results The overall prevalence of internalized stigma in this study was 57%. Higher levels of internalization were more prevalent among younger respondents. We found that females were more prone to internalize weight stigma, at a slightly higher rate than males (59.26% vs. 53.66%), but this difference was not statistically significant. The other sociodemographic factors associated with higher internalization were as follows: being widowed, married, retired, or housewife. Those with higher IWS levels were individuals with higher BMI and with previous experiences of weight stigma. In addition, higher internalization was associated with the development of severe depression and anxiety (p<0.001). Conclusion The prevalence of IWS among overweight and obese individuals was found to be high, and it is highly associated with the development of severe depression and anxiety. There is a need to raise awareness about obesity stigma to help tackle IWS in overweight and obese individuals and to promote their quality of life.