The prevalence of adults with obesity in the United States has increased over the past two decades. Obesity prevalence is exacerbated by the fact that patients with obesity are at an increased risk of developing comorbidities. This widely accepted public health crisis failed to receive recognition as a chronic disease until recently. Its recognition as a disease was stunted by a grossly held misconception that obesity is the result of a lack of willpower and poor lifestyle choices rather than a complex interplay between the central nervous system and metabolically active organs. Relevant literature suggests that this misinterpretation might explain why obesity has been overlooked by providers as well as payers.

Treatment options for obesity have existed for many years. Current treatments include behavioral modifications, anti-obesity medications, and bariatric surgery. We are interested in the intersection of coverage decisions and obesity stigma in employers, an area unexplored by the literature. Given that nearly 50% of the U.S. population has employer-sponsored health insurance, we find it crucial to assess employers’ current coverage of obesity treatments and attitudes toward improving future access to these treatments. Weight bias literature finds that providing people with information about the uncontrollable causes of obesity improves their attitudes toward individuals with obesity. If employers are informed about the biological causes of the disease or the financial benefits of reducing obesity prevalence, we hypothesize that they would be more likely to support coverage for obesity care.