US defence secretary Pete Hegseth has been criticised after sharing a photograph of two people in uniform from a Canadian youth cadet programme with the caption “this is real”. The image showed a teenage cadet receiving a medal from someone reported to be a volunteer instructor.
Author
- Jordan Beaumont
Senior Lecturer in Food and Nutrition, Sheffield Hallam University
The post was widely interpreted as mocking their appearance. The civilian Army Cadet League of Canada accused Hegseth of online harassment, saying that derogatory comments directed at young people working to improve themselves and serve their communities were unacceptable.
Hegseth has previously linked appearance with military fitness . While introducing stricter fitness requirements in 2025, he said it was ” completely unacceptable ” to see “fat generals and admirals” in positions of command.
Many military roles require considerable physical fitness, and appropriate standards serve a clear purpose. Hegseth’s social media post, however, provided no information about the abilities or fitness of the people pictured. It invited viewers to infer these things from their appearance.
Some people may brush this off by repeating the playground rhyme: “Sticks and stones may break your bones, but words will never hurt you.” One of my primary school teachers once said this after another child made fun of me because I was fat. I have a terrible memory, but I still remember those words.
Since then, I have often wondered why cruelty towards people living with obesity is treated as acceptable simply because of their size.
Weight stigma involves negative stereotypes and unfair treatment based on body weight . People with obesity are often stereotyped as lazy or lacking self-control , regardless of their behaviour or health.
The same activity, viewed differently
In an anonymous survey , my colleagues and I showed 143 adults photographs of people who were a healthy weight or living with obesity. The people pictured were eating, exercising or sitting down. Participants were asked to describe what was happening.
Their responses were more negative when the photograph showed a person with obesity, even when someone of a healthy weight was shown doing the same activity.
A person of a healthy weight who was exercising might be described as healthy or trying to improve themselves. A person with obesity doing the same activity was more likely to attract comments about being unhappy or unhealthy.
When viewing someone sitting down, participants might describe a person of a healthy weight as tired or relaxing. A person with obesity was more likely to be called lazy. Similar differences appeared in responses to photographs involving food.
Participants tended to concentrate on the activity or social occasion when looking at people of a healthy weight. When looking at people living with obesity, they were more likely to focus on appearance or make assumptions about lifestyle and character.
Body size appeared to influence both the meaning participants assigned to an activity and what they assumed about the person doing it.
The study captured views at one point in time and cannot tell us where those attitudes came from. Its sample was small and did not represent the wider population because most participants were white, women and highly educated. Larger studies involving more varied groups are needed.
Even with these limitations, the findings fit with wider evidence about weight stigma and expose how much people believe they can tell from someone’s size. Body weight is influenced by biology and by the circumstances in which people live. In the UK, access to affordable healthy food is unequal , while opportunities for physical activity can depend on local facilities and the quality of green space .
Weight stigma in healthcare
Some people argue that shame might motivate weight loss . Evidence links weight stigma with subsequent weight gain and weight cycling , meaning repeated weight loss and regain. It has also been associated with harmful eating patterns, including binge eating and severe restriction.
Its effects can extend into healthcare. A US survey of 524 adults examined experiences such as insensitive comments, clinicians concentrating on weight instead of the problem that brought someone to the appointment, and patients feeling unable to speak freely.
Every form of weight stigma examined was associated with self-reported healthcare avoidance. People reporting more stigmatising experiences were also more likely to say they had avoided healthcare.
Because the study was observational, it cannot establish that stigma caused this avoidance. It does identify a concerning relationship between patients’ experiences and their willingness to seek medical help.
The studies discussed here answer different questions, but together they illustrate how readily body size influences the way ordinary behaviour is interpreted. They also show how weight-related judgments may affect people’s relationship with healthcare.
Hegseth’s post told viewers almost nothing about the people in the photograph. Its force depended on the assumption that their bodies told the whole story. My research shows how readily people make that assumption and why its effects can extend beyond social media.
That playground rhyme has stayed with me for decades. The evidence now gives me a clearer answer to the question it left behind. Words about weight can shape self-image and affect how other people respond. They may even influence whether healthcare feels like a place where someone will be heard. Their effects can last long after the words have been forgotten.
