ArticleBMC medical education2026
Fatphobia among adolescents: how future health professionals perceive weight-related violence and the influence of social media.
Article in BMC medical education, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
backgroundFatphobia is a form of discrimination that negatively impacts physical and mental health. Adolescents in health-related technical education are both exposed to and capable of reproducing fatphobia. This study aimed to analyze the perceptions of adolescent students in professional technical health courses regarding fatphobia and its relationship with social media.
methodsThis qualitative study was conducted with 24 adolescents aged 14 to 18 years enrolled in Nursing and Aesthetics technical programs at a public technical school in Fortaleza, Brazil. Two focus group sessions were held, one for each program, using a semi-structured guide. Sessions were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using Descending Hierarchical Classification with the IRaMuTeQ software. The analysis sought to identify thematic patterns based on the frequency and association of textual segments. The study followed established qualitative reporting criteria to ensure transparency and rigor.
resultsFive thematic classes emerged: (1) Recognition and reproduction of fatphobia; (2) Experience of fatphobia; (3) Social construction of the "ideal body"; (4) The fat body and the reinterpretation of health; and (5) Influence of social media and use of digital filters. Students recognized the existence and harmful effects of fatphobia but also acknowledged reproducing stigmatizing comments and behaviors. Students demonstrated nuanced views about the relationship between body size and health, challenging weight-centered biomedical interpretations. Social media emerged as a powerful driver of unrealistic aesthetic expectations.
conclusionsAdolescents in technical health training recognize fatphobia as both an individual and structural issue, shaped by social norms and amplified by social media. Although they express empathy toward people with larger bodies, many simultaneously reproduce weight-stigmatizing practices. Technical-vocational schools represent formative spaces where fatphobia is simultaneously reproduced and questioned, making them key environments for integrating educational interventions that promote body diversity, challenge weight-based prejudice, and support the development of more inclusive future health professionals.
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