Weight Stigma in Pregnancy: A Narrative Review of Consequences, Drivers, and Potential Solutions.

Authors

Briony Hill, Haimanot Hailu, Bec Jenkinson, Ahlia Griffiths, Emma Davidsen, Jodie Dodd, Megan Mitchell, Leonie Callaway, Lauren Kearney, Helen Skouteris

Published in

Current obesity reports. Volume 15. Issue 1. Oct 26, 2026. Epub Oct 26, 2026.

Abstract

This narrative review summarises current knowledge of weight stigma in pregnancy including consequences, drivers, and potential solutions.
Weight stigma in pregnancy has negative physical, psychosocial, and behavioural sequelae for mothers and their infants. It is an equity issue that compounds disadvantage experienced by marginalised communities. A focus on gestational weight gain in maternity care, particularly for women with a high body mass index has created an environment that perpetuates implicit and explicit weight stigma, negatively impacting women's care. The community, family members, and media are also key weight stigma perpetrators. This stigma pervades societal norms, influencing healthcare environments, practice, and policy. Tackling weight stigma in maternity care requires a shift from weight-centric, stigmatising approaches to more weight-inclusive, woman-centred, and holistic health-focused care. This should be supported by approaches addressing societal and cultural norms and policy change, ultimately leading to improvements in the health and wellbeing of women during pregnancy and beyond.

PMID:
42932112
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 27 Oct 2026.

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