Obese people who go under the knife continue to be seen as lazy and lacking in willpower even after they lose weight, a new study suggests.
Overweight people who drop the kilos using exercise and diet are seen far more favourably.
In a study by the University of NSW (UNSW) School of Psychology, 73 students were shown photographs of an obese woman called "Susan" who had a body-mass index (BMI) of almost 40 - well above the healthy range of 20 to 25.
The students were given her basic biographical information and then asked to rate her personality and behavioural traits.
They were then shown a more recent photograph of a slimmer Susan, with a BMI of just 22.
Some were told Susan had used either surgery or diet and exercise, while others were given no explanation on how she shed the excess weight.
The study's architect, PHD student Jasmine Fardouly, said although the thinner Susan was generally perceived more favourably, those students who were told her new figure was due to surgery judged her more harshly.
"People tend to see an obese person who sheds a lot of weight as someone who eats more healthily, exercises more and is more competent and less sloppy," she said in a statement.
"But that may be because people assume the weight loss was a result of better diet and more exercise."
Ms Fardouly said people had a very different opinion when they were told Susan had opted to go down the surgical road.
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Weight loss surgery carries stigma
