Effect of Weight Self-Stigma on Quality of Life and Dietary Habits among Adult Students in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Weight self-stigma (WSS) is a personal experience of negative self-evaluations, perceived discrimination, and shame about body weight. Studies suggested that WSS could negatively affect quality of life, eating behavior, and psychological outcomes. WSS has been linked with a number of obesogenic health outcomes that complicate weight loss interventions. Thus, this study aimed to examine the effect of WSS on the quality of life and dietary habits among adult students. A sample of 385 students from Riyadh universities participated in this cross-sectional study and completed three online questionnaires: the WSS questionnaire, the WHO quality of life questionnaire, and a dietary habit questionnaire. The average age of participants was 24 ± 6.74, and the majority were female (78.4%). Results demonstrated a negative association between all QOL domains and WSS (p < 0.001). Moreover, higher BMI is associated with increased self-devaluation and fear of enacted stigma (p < 0.001). There was also a negative link between both quality and quantity of food with WSS (p < 0.01). No significant difference was seen in study outcomes concerning gender. The findings of this study suggest the importance of increasing awareness about the negative impact of WSS and developing social policies to prevent or decrease it. Additionally, multidisciplinary teams, especially dietitians, should be more aware of WSS when dealing with overweight and obese individuals.