How Discrimination Is Linked to Male Waistline Increases

Author: Purdue University
Published: 12 Apr 2011 - Updated: 20 Aug 2026
Publication Details: Peer-Reviewed | Research, Study, Analysis

Table of Contents:
Synopsis - Definition - Overview - FAQs - Insights, Updates - Related Content

Synopsis

This research from Purdue University reports that men who persistently experienced high levels of discrimination over a nine-year period saw their waist circumference grow by roughly an inch more than those who reported none, while women in the same situation gained just over half an inch, with findings published in the American Journal of Epidemiology and drawn from a sample of more than 1,400 people tracked through the 1995 and 2004 National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States - the work matters because it connects the chronic stress of unfair treatment to abdominal fat accumulation, a stronger predictor of cardiovascular problems than body mass index, and it offers useful context for people facing bias, including those with disabilities and seniors, by pointing to coping strategies such as exercise and by underscoring that everyday mistreatment carries measurable physical consequences beyond hurt feelings.*

At a Glance

• 1 - Weight-based discrimination was deliberately excluded from the study sample.
• 2 - Men averaged a 2.39 centimeter waist increase, while women averaged 1.88 centimeters.
• 3 - Reported discrimination included less courtesy, poorer service, and others acting fearful.
• 4 - Researcher Haslyn Hunte plans follow-up work measuring cortisol, a stress hormone, to probe how discrimination may concentrate fat around the midsection.

Topic Definition

Discrimination and Health

Discrimination and health refers to the study of how unfair or unequal treatment, whether based on race, disability, age, or other characteristics, affects a person's physical wellbeing rather than only their emotional state. Researchers in this field examine the way the ongoing stress of being treated with less courtesy, receiving poorer service, or being regarded with suspicion can register in the body over time, influencing measures such as waist circumference, blood pressure, and stress hormone levels. The core idea is that social experience and biology are linked, so that repeated exposure to bias may quietly contribute to conditions like abdominal weight gain and cardiovascular risk. For communities that frequently encounter prejudice, including people with disabilities and older adults, this area of research helps explain why fair treatment carries consequences that extend well beyond the moment of the interaction itself.

Overview

Discrimination Leads to Male Obesity Issues

Study shows how discrimination hurts: lack of fair treatment leads to obesity issues - People, especially men, who feel any kind of discrimination, are likely to see their waistlines expand, according to research from Purdue University.

"This study found that males who persistently experienced high levels of discrimination during a nine-year period were more likely to see their waist circumference measurement increase by an inch compared to those who did not report discrimination," said Haslyn E.R. Hunte, an assistant professor of health and kinesiology.

"Females who reported similar experiences also saw their waistlines grow by more than half an inch. This shows how discrimination hurts people physically, and it's a reminder how people's unfair treatment of others can be compelling."

"People who feel unfairly treated should be aware of this connection between the stress related to their perception and consider coping strategies like exercise or other healthy behaviors as a coping mechanism for such stress. More importantly, as a society, we must become more aware of how we treat people and that treating others unfairly matters beyond hurt feelings."

These findings are published online in the American Journal of Epidemiology. The study, based on a predominantly white sample of more than 1,400 people, compared health and aging data from the 1995 and 2004 National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States. Hunte found that people who reported recurring discrimination tended to have a higher increase in waist circumference over time.

• Men reported an average of 2.39 centimeters increase in waist circumference compared to those who reported low levels of discrimination.
• Women reported an average increase of 1.88 centimeters over others during the nine-year period.

"While this study shows there is a difference between men and women, it doesn't provide specific reasons for that difference," Hunte said. "More research will need to be done to understand how and why men and women cope differently with this stress, or if there are differences in how their bodies react."

Hunte focused on waist circumference - instead of the adult body mass index formula, which measures adult obesity based on their height to weight ratio - because abdominal fat is a better indicator of poor cardiovascular-related health outcomes than body mass index.

"Being fat is not healthy, but there are greater problems with individuals who are more pear shaped, meaning that fat builds up in their waist region, rather than someone whose fat is deposited throughout the body," Hunte said.

"There is some indication that stressors, such as interpersonal discrimination, can concentrate fat around the midsection. We're not certain why, and more work needs to be done to understand this connection between behavior and physiology. How does what's above the skin affect what is taking place under the skin"

People who reported ongoing perceptions of discrimination said they were treated with less courtesy than others, received poorer customer service, or people acted as if they were afraid of them. The source of discrimination is not known, but Hunte did exempt individuals who reported that they felt discrimination due to their weight.

Study Details:

Hunte is planning to investigate this further by studying biomarkers, such as cortisol, which is a stress-induced hormone, in relationship to effects of discrimination. Hunte was supported by the Department of Health and Kinesiology and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health and Society Scholars program. The national survey was funded by the National Institute of Aging and the John D. Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Research Network on Successful Midlife Development.

Frequently Asked Questions

NOTE: Researched FAQs by Disabled World (DW)

What is the difference between perceived discrimination and documented discrimination in research?

Perceived discrimination reflects how a person feels they were treated, which is what this type of study measures, while documented discrimination relies on external records or verified events rather than personal reporting.

How can chronic stress physically affect where the body stores fat?

Ongoing stress can raise levels of hormones such as cortisol, which some evidence links to fat settling around the abdomen rather than being spread more evenly across the body.

Why do researchers prefer waist circumference over BMI for this kind of study?

Waist circumference reflects abdominal fat directly, and abdominal fat is considered a stronger signal of cardiovascular risk than the height to weight ratio used in BMI.

What coping strategies may help reduce stress from unfair treatment?

Regular exercise, social support, adequate sleep, and other healthy routines are commonly suggested ways to manage the stress that can come from feeling treated unfairly.

Does this research prove that discrimination directly causes weight gain?

No, the study shows an association between persistent discrimination and waistline increases over time, but it does not establish a direct cause and effect relationship.

Are people with disabilities more likely to experience this kind of discrimination?

People with disabilities often report frequent unfair treatment, so this line of research is relevant to understanding how such experiences may affect their long term physical health.

What is cortisol and why is it relevant to this topic?

Cortisol is a hormone the body releases in response to stress, and researchers study it because it may help explain the biological pathway between discrimination and changes in body fat.

Can reducing discrimination in society lead to measurable health improvements?

Research in this area suggests fairer treatment could lessen chronic stress, which may in turn reduce related health risks, although more study is needed to confirm the scale of any benefit.

Insights, Analysis, and Developments

Editorial Note: What gives this study its weight is not only the numbers but what they imply about the body keeping score of social experience, as the research was led by Haslyn E.R. Hunte and supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health and Society Scholars program, drawing on a national survey funded by the National Institute of Aging and the MacArthur Foundation - the practical takeaway is that perceived unfair treatment appears to translate into physiological change over years rather than days, a slow accumulation that people rarely connect to how they are treated by others, and while the authors are careful to note that the reasons behind the difference between men and women remain unresolved, the message for readers, advocates, and clinicians alike is that dignity and fair treatment are not soft concerns but factors with a real bearing on long term health.*

Attribution/Source(s): This peer reviewed publication was selected for publishing by the editors of Disabled World (DW) due to its relevance to the disability community. Originally authored by Purdue University and published on 12 Apr 2011, this content may have been edited for style, clarity, or brevity.

* Editorial additions by Ian C. Langtree.