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Obesity stigma is reported across population groups, impacting the wellbeing of obese people. Perhaps counterintuitively, healthcare professionals have stigmatising attitudes and, in some cases, fail to provide advice and treatment to obese patients. The reports summarised in this review suggest that intervention is required to improve treatment and to reduce adverse patient behaviours such as avoiding appointments and not reporting concerns to healthcare providers.

The costs of obesity and its related comorbidities to healthcare systems are well known, yet the effects on obese people individually are equally devastating. Obesity is now seen in people of all ages, even children, and it has widespread effects on physical health, reproductive health, employment, mental health, stigma and mortality risk. These effects are described in this article, and the urgent need to begin tackling the condition in primary care is highlighted.