{"id":31679,"date":"2025-10-11T16:36:37","date_gmt":"2025-10-11T20:36:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.urelles.com\/?p=31679"},"modified":"2026-03-10T21:34:44","modified_gmt":"2026-03-11T01:34:44","slug":"we-read-it-for-you-fatphobia-that-acceptable-prejudice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.urelles.com\/en\/magazine\/we-read-it-for-you\/we-read-it-for-you-fatphobia-that-acceptable-prejudice\/","title":{"rendered":"We read it for you: fatphobia, that \u201cacceptable prejudice\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Every month, essential reports related to DEI are released and too often end up gathering dust on a shelf. Too long or too technical, yet full of crucial information! Every month, URelles delves into these complex documents to extract the essentials and deliver a digestible, jargon-free version. This month, we summarize one of the only master’s theses<\/a> on the subject in Quebec! <\/p>\n\n

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A legal void <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Weight is not a protected ground<\/strong> under the Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms, and there is no provincial or federal law<\/strong> that explicitly protects against weight discrimination<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bills introduced over the years have often been rejected due to concerns that they would \u201cencourage\u201d obesity, that the concept was too vague, or that legal action would be too costly.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

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Discrimination that is very real<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In Quebec, 25% of people<\/strong> (all weights combined) say they have experienced weight-based discrimination.\n This figure rises to 44% among peoplewith a BMI over 30.In Canada, weight-based discriminationis more common than discrimination basedon religion, income, disability, orsexual orientation.\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Medical fatphobia<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In Canada, 1 in 15 adults<\/strong> experiences discrimination in the medical field.\n Among people who have experienced weight-related stigma, nearly 65% say they have experienced it from a doctor.In Quebec, people with a BMI over 30 are three times more likely to report experiencing medical fatphobia.\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

Fatphobia in the workplace<\/h2>\n\n

54%<\/strong> of overweight people say they have experienced fatphobia at work.\n Women are the primary victims, and they often become so at a weight considered \u201chigh\u201d well before that of men.The \u201cwage penalty\u201d for overweight women ranges from 6% to 15%, and can reach 24% for the most overweight.Stereotypes persist: less competent, less reliable, less productive… even though there is no scientific data to support these beliefs.\n<\/p>\n\n

An industry that profits from fatphobia<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

The diet industry thrives on the fear of being overweight.<\/p>\n\n