Skip to main content

You make this possible. Support our independent, nonprofit newsroom today.

Give Now

Asians are treated differently based on their weight, study says

caption: Dr. Sapna Cheryan, psychology professor at the University of Washington
Enlarge Icon
Dr. Sapna Cheryan, psychology professor at the University of Washington
Courtesy of Nikki Ritcher

People who are chubby or fat often experience prejudice.

But a recent study out of the University of Washington found that for Asian Americans, being fat correlates with being viewed as belonging in the U.S. Dr. Sapna Cheryan is a psychology professor at the UW. She talked to Kim Malcolm about the study's results.

“When Asian American faces were doctored to appear heavier, they were rated as significantly more American as the same Asian American faces doctored to be thinner,” Cheryan said.

Thinner Asian Americans were more likely to be viewed as being in the country without documentation, she added.

That’s not to say that that fatter Asian Americans would be treated well, she said – they may still face discrimination in other spaces, such as the doctor’s office.

Why you can trust KUOW