Disparities in Access and Quality of Obesity Care

Overview

Journal Gastroenterol Clin North Am

Specialty Gastroenterology

Date 2023 May 17

PMID 37197884

Authors

Tiffani Bell Washington

Veronica R Johnson

Karla Kendrick

Awab Ali Ibrahim

Lucy Tu

Kristen Sun

Fatima Cody Stanford

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Obesity is a chronic disease and a significant public health threat predicated on complex genetic, psychological, and environmental factors. Individuals with higher body mass index are more likely to avoid health care due to weight stigma. Disparities in obesity care disproportionately impact racial and ethnic minorities. In addition to this unequal disease burden, access to obesity treatment varies significantly. Even if treatment options are theoretically productive, they may be more difficult for low-income families, and racial and ethnic minorities to implement in practice secondary to socioeconomic factors. Lastly, the outcomes of undertreatment are significant. Disparities in obesity foreshadow integral inequality in health outcomes, including disability, and premature mortality.

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