Anti-Diet & Body Liberation Resources

Research Studies & Scholarly Articles

Content warning that some studies use stigmatizing language like “ob*se,” “overw*ight,” etc.

Quick Guide to Evaluating Weight Science Research

By: Ragen Chastain

**Before I get to the evergrowing list of studies below, here’s a guide that you can use to evaluate all weight science research in life, the news, etc.!!!

Important definitions:

• A systematic review (SR) starts with a research question, creates inclusion criteria for evidence, and then attempts to gather and summarize all of the available empirical evidence that fits the inclusion criteria. 

• A meta-analysis (MA)  is the application of statistical methods to the results of the studies collected by the systematic review. 

• An umbrella review (UR) synthesizes all of the available systematic reviews and meta-analyses about a broad research question, typically taking into account not just the findings of the SRs and MAs, but also the quality of evidence within them. This is important because if the SR/MAs include poor-quality studies, then they risk poor-quality summary/analysis/conclusions.

Weight Science: Evaluating the Evidence for a Paradigm Shift

By: Lindo Bacon and Lucy Aphramor

This paper evaluates the evidence and rationale that justifies shifting the health care paradigm from a conventional weight focus to a weight-neutral focus.

Bank of Studies Compiled by Ragen Chastain

Broken into two categories:

• Support for Weight-Neutral Care

• Issues with Weight-Loss/Dieting as a Healthcare Intervention

Size acceptance and intuitive eating improve health for ob*se* female chronic dieters

By: Lindo Bacon, Judith S Stern, Marta D Van Loan, Nancy L Keim

HAES approach resulted in improved health risk indicators.

Relationship Between Low Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Mortality in Normal-Weight, Overweight, and Obese Men

By: Ming Wei, MD, MPH; James B. Kampert, PhD; Carolyn E. Barlow, MS; et al

Relative risk of all-cause mortality was similarly mitigated by fitness, regardless of BMI.

Recognizing the Fundamental Right to be Fat: A Weight-Inclusive Approach to Size Acceptance and Healing From Sizeism

By: Rachel M. Calogera, Tracy L. Tylka, Janell L. Mensinger, Angela Meadows, Sigrun Daníelsdóttir

An exploration of issues with the Weight Normative Approach, the benefits of a Weight Inclusive Approach, and strategies for therapists to align their practice with a Weight Inclusive Approach.

What’s wrong with the ‘war on ob*sity?’ A narrative review of the weight-centered health paradigm and development of the 3C Framework to build critical competency for a paradigm shift.

By: Lily O’Hara and Jane Taylor 

Critique of the weight-centered health paradigm and review of the literature around the ineffectiveness and harms of the weight-centered approach. 

Healthy Lifestyle Habits and Mortality in Overweight and Obese Individuals

By: Eric M. Matheson, Dana E. King and Charles J. Everett

Healthy Habits were associated with a similarly significant decrease in mortality regardless of BMI.

How and Why Weight Stigma Drives the Obesity ‘Epidemic’ and Harms Health

By: A. Janet Tomiyama, Deborah Carr, Ellen M. Granberg, Brenda Major, Eric Robinson, Angelina R. Sutin, and Alexandra Brewis

The latest science indicates that weight stigma can trigger physiological and behavioral changes linked to poor metabolic health and increased weight gain.

The Weight-Inclusive versus Weight-Normative Approach to Health: Evaluating the Evidence for Prioritizing Well-Being over Weight Loss

By: Tracy L. Tylka, Rachel A. Annunziato, Deb Burgard, Sigrún Daníelsdóttir, Ellen Shuman, Chad Davis and Rachel M. Calogero

Review of the data on weight and health, including ineffectiveness and harms of dieting, health effects of weight stigma, and data behind a weight-inclusive approach.

Obesity treatment: Weight loss versus increasing fitness and physical activity for reducing health risks

By: Gaesser and Angadi

Makes the case for weight-neutral care over intentional weight loss. Ragen Chastain broke down the study and its findings here.

Validity of claims made in weight management research: a narrative review of dietetic articles

By: Lucy Aphramor

The best available evidence demonstrates that conventional weight management has a high long-term failure rate. The ethical implications of continued reliance on an energy deficit approach to weight management are under-explored.

How effective are traditional dietary and exercise interventions for weight loss?

By: W.C. Miller

The data that exists suggest almost complete weight regain after 3-5 years.

Perceived Weight Discrimination and 10-Year Risk of Allostatic Load Among US Adults

By: Maya Vadiveloo, PhD, RD and Josiemer Mattei, PhD, MPH

Probability of an Obese Person Attaining Normal Body Weight: Cohort Study Using Electronic Health Records

By: Alison Fildes, PhD, Judith Charlton, MSc, Caroline Rudisill, PhD, Peter Littlejohns, MD, A. Toby Prevost, PhD, and Martin C. Gulliford, FFPH, MA

The annual probability of achieving normal body weight was 1 in 210 for men and 1 in 124 for women with simple ob*sity. The probability declined with increasing BMI category.

An Evidence-Based Rationale for Adopting Weight-Inclusive Health Policy

By: Jeffrey M. Hunger (Miami University), Joslyn P. Smith (National Eating Disorders Association), A. Janet Tomiyama (University of California, LA)

Medicare’s search for effective obesity treatments: diets are not the answer

By: Traci Mann, Janet Tomiyama

Almost all dieters regain all the weight, many regain more.

Obesity Stigma: Important Considerations for Public Health

By: Rebecca M. Puhl, PhD and Chelsea A. Heuer, MPH

Long-term Effects of Dieting: Is Weight Loss Related to Health?

By: Traci Mann, Janet Tomiyama

Dieting was not shown to be correlated with improved health outcomes.

The body politic: the relationship between stigma and obesity-associated disease

By: Peter Muennig

This work examines the relationship between weight stigma and health issues, and finds that weight stigma may drive health issues that are typically blamed on body size.

“Stigma and prejudice are intensely stressful. Over time, such chronic stress can lead to high blood pressure and diabetes.”

Impact of non-diet approaches on attitudes, behaviors, and health outcomes: a systematic review

By: Dawn Clifford, Amy Ozier, Joanna Bundros, Jeffrey Moore, Anna Kreiser, Michelle Neyman Morris

Systematic search of 168 articles and review of 18 articles meeting inclusionary criteria.

Weight Discrimination and Risk of Mortality

Angelina R. Sutin, PhD, Yannick Stephan, PhD, and Antonio Terracciano, PhD

The study found that:

1. Perceived weight discrimination was associated with an increase in mortality risk of nearly 60%,

2. This increased risk was not accounted for by common physical and psychological risk factors, and

3. In addition to its association with poor health outcomes, weight discrimination may shorten life expectancy.

Physical activity and risk of cardiovascular disease by weight status among U.S adults

By: Xiaochen Zhang, Rebecca E. Cash, Julie K. Bower, Brian C. Focht, and Electra D. Paskett

Fitness vs. Fatness on All-Cause Mortality: A Meta-Analysis

By: Vaughn W. Barry, Meghan Baruth, Michael W. Beets, J. Larry Durstine, Jihong Liu, Steven N. Blair

Evaluating the impact of a brief Health at Every Size®-informed health promotion activity on body positivity and internalized weight-based oppression

By: Lily O’Hara, Hanaa Ahmed, Sana Elashie

The spectrum of eating disturbances

By: C M Shisslak, M Crago, L S Estes

20-25% of “normal dieters” develop an eating disorder.

Sugar addiction: the state of the science

By: Margaret L. Westwater, Paul C. Fletcher, and Hisham Ziauddeen

Library of Intuitive Eating Studies

91 studies compiled by Evelyn Tribole, MS, RDN, CEDRD-S

Medicare's search for effective obesity treatments: diets are not the answer

By: Traci Mann, A Janet Tomiyama, Erika Westling, Ann-Marie Lew, Barbra Samuels, Jason Chatman

I Think Therefore I Am: Perceived Ideal Weight as a Determinant of Health

By: Peter Muennig, MD, MPH, Haomiao Jia, PhD, Rufina Lee, PhD, and Erica Lubetkin, MD, MPH

Campaigns that use higher-weight people and people with health issues as cautionary tales increase stigma, which this study shows decreases healthcare engagement and increases disease risk.

The Case for a Health at Every Size Approach for Chronic Disease Risk Reduction in Women of Color

By: Autumn Rauchwerk, Anne Vipperman-Cohen, Sridevi Padmanabhan, Woheema Parasram, Kate G Burt

Stigma in Practice: Barriers to Health for Fat Women

By: Jennifer A. Lee and Cat J. Pausé

An exploration of barriers to healthcare for fat people, including structural and institutional policies, attitudes, and practices. Some findings:

• Fat individuals are less likely to access healthcare, and are less likely to receive evidence-based and bias-free healthcare when they do engage.

• Anti-fat attitudes are found in both practitioners and students, from physicians/doctors, researchers, clinicians, physiotherapists, dieticians, and nurses and students in the medical and dietetic fields.

• Negative attitudes about fat patients result in doctors choosing to spend less time with fat patients and often resulting in fewer preventive and diagnostic tests for fat patients.

• Whether due to improper equipment, lack of education, bias, or an interaction between the three, it is clear that providers also present a barrier to the health and well-being of fat individuals.

Intuitive eating is associated with glycemic control in type 2 diabetes

By: Fabíola Lacerda Pires Soares, Mariana Herzog Ramos, Mariana Gramelisch, Rhaviny de Paula Pego Silva, Jussara da Silva Batista, Monica Cattafesta, Luciane Bresciani Salaroli

Losing weight before knee surgery may not be beneficial for people with arthritis: study

By: University of Alberta

U of A researchers find no evidence that BMI is a good determinant of surgical outcomes for osteoarthritis.

Weight Loss Is Not the Answer: A Well-being Solution to the “Obesity Problem”

By: Christine Logel, Danu Anthony Stinson, Paula M. Brochu

What about the Joints? : Weight-inclusive Care for Osteoarthritis

By: Louise D. Metz MD

Obesity does not adversely impact the outcome of unicompartmental knee arthroplasty for osteoarthritis: a meta-analysis of 80,798 subjects

By: Nikhil Agarwal, Kendrick To, Bridget Zhang & Wasim Khan

Weight Labeling and Disordered Eating Among Adolescent Girls: Longitudinal Evidence From the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Growth and Health Study

By: Jeffrey M. Hunger, Ph.D., Janet Tomiyama, Ph.D