Need for Legal Protection Against Weight Discrimination in the United States

Abstract

The steady rise in the prevalence of obesity has had a negative impact for people living with obesity. This includes health care and social disparities that lead to diminished quality of life and social prosperity. Even though discrimination based on weight has a negative impact on people's health and wellness, there is only one state in the United States, Michigan, that has an antiweight discrimination law. Massachusetts and some cities in the United States have been working to ensure that weight is added as a civil protection over the years. This perspective describes the importance of a weight discrimination law in the United States as well as summarizes the currently existing protections in the country.