Although a less studied topic than employment and healthcare, several studies reviewed by Puhl and colleagues (2009) provide evidence that overweight and obese women in particular face weight stigma from many interpersonal sources including family, friends, and romantic partners.^[1] Another recent review by Puhl and Suh (2015) also documented that in school settings weight-based bullying is one of the most prevalent types of harassment reported by parents, teachers, and students.^[2] Experiencing interpersonal weight stigma is related to myriad negative physical and mental health consequences (see "Physical and Mental Health Consequences of Experiencing Weight Stigma" below).

A study done by Carr Deborah and Michael A. Friedman, examined the relationships between underweight, normalweight, overweight, and obese individuals and their family and friends. In the study 3,656 young adults completed a questionnaire regarding their social relationships. The study had both the independent and dependent variables that were evaluated.

The independent variable in this study is the Body Mass Index (BMI) of each respondent. BMI is calculated using the person’s weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters.^[3] It can be used to screen for weight categories mentioned below, but is not used for diagnostic of body fatness and/or a person’s health. ^[4]About 37% of the sample population in this study is classified as overweight and an additional 22% classfied as obese. These proportions are similar to the national estimates which shows that 18 - 25%^[4] of the United States population is obesee and 50-60%^[4] is overweight and/or obese. Since the 1970s^[5], the average BMI of an adult in the United States has been greater or equal to 30 kg/m^2, which is considered class obese. To keep a healthy BMI, one needs to eat healthy, exercise and self-monitor their daily lifestyle.

The independent variable in this study is the Body Mass Index of each respondent. The BMI scores were placed into six categories^[4]

1.     > 18.5 = underweight

2.     18.5 – 24.9 = normal weight

3.     25 – 29.9 = overweight

4.     30 – 34.9 = class I obese

5.     35 – 39.9 = class II obese

6.     40 < = class III obese

For the dependent variables, positive and negative aspects of a relationship were taken into consideration with one’s spouse, family members, friends, and coworkers.

Positive/supportive relationships were scored and measured by four categories that asked the respondents how much:^[4]

1.     The other person really cares about the respondent

2.     The other person understands the way the respondent feels about things

3.     The other person can be relied on for help if the respondent were to have a serious problem

4.     The respondent can open up with the other person about their worries

There were two items that were used separately to evaluate positive/supportive relationship with coworkers:^[4]

1.     How often is the respondent getting help from their co-workers

2.     How much are the respondent’s co-workers willing to listen to their work-related problems

The respondents reported the amount of support they received from their positive/supportive relationships with family and friends. The result showed support to the respondents as 0.87 from spouses, 0.84 from family, 0.88 from friends and 0.73 from coworkers.

Negative/problematic relationships were measured with four categories based on how much the other person:^[4]

1.     Makes too many demands on the respondent

2.     Criticizes the respondent

3.     Lets the respondent down when they are counting on the other person

4.     Gets on the respondent’s nerve

Similarly, the respondents reported the amount of support from their Negative/problematic relationships. The results showed 0.81 from spouses, 0.84 from family and 0.79 from friends.^[4]

When the results were compared between normal weight individuals and class I and II obese individuals, the latter reported a higher level of strain in their relationship between friends and family(cite) due to the bias and stigma that pose a threat on the obese individual, straying them away from close relations in life(cite).[1] Both overweight and obese class I individuals reported significantly less positive support from friends than normal-weight individuals. Highly obese individuals also reported a low level of emotional support from their family members. These individuals are the target of weight-based teasing, name calling, and inappropriate, pejorative comments.

Due to stigmatization of physical appearances, there are negative effects on a person’s social interactions with others. According to R. Crosnoe, overweight adolescents are less likely to make new friends, are less likely to be a part of their school’s social networks and are less likely to be engaged in a romantic relationship.^[6]  This is because being overweight or obese has been stigmatized in American society for a long time. Being stigmatized for one’s physical appearances can lead them to “spoiling”^[6] their identity, resulting them to be outcasted from their interpersonal relationships.  

According to Buttitta et al. there is a negative correlation between the child’s weight and quality of life due to their perception of their own appearance than their measured BMI. This correlation is linked with their perception of their personal appearance, the amount of screen time they receive and the amount of social support they receive from their friends and family.^[6] As talked about in the previous section, weight stigmatization from friends and family effects the obese individual emotionally and mentally. It drives them away from all the relations in their life, along with establishing  a negative self-image of oneself in their head. In a study done by Puhl,^[1]2,449 overweight and obese women were surveyed on the most common interpersonal cause of stigma in their lives. They were provided 22 different individuals and 72% of them reported that family members were the most common cause of stigma. 53% of them being mothers and 44% of father leadings the list of family members, with 60% of the participants reporting friends as the second leading cause.^[1] When the children were asked to report their quality of life, overweight and obese youth reported lower quality of life than their counterparts on the bases of social, emotional, school, and physical appearance scale.^[6] The relationship between one’s BMI and quality of life has been mediated by the individual’s self-conception and body dissatisfaction. Individuals who were also overweight during their adolescence years received less emotional support from family members as their BMI increased over the years.^[1]

Negative treatment from others puts a strain on the person’s self esteem and moods. Obese people are more likely to be accustomed to other’s negative treatment and will react negatively towards other people in their life, affecting their current and/or past relationships, as well. Consequently, according to Goffman, stigmatized people purposely interact with people who have similar characteristics as them. They are categorized as “sympathetic others.” There are two groups of “sympathetic others.”^[4]

1.  The first group are people who share a similar attribute, such as obesity, allowing them to offer emotional and moral support, along with acceptance to the others that are like them.^[4]

2.  The second group is known as the “Wise Persons”. This group is composed of people who are related to the stigmatized person by blood or friendship. They accept and stand up for the stigmatized individuals. Goffman says these people are “privy to the secret life of the stigmatized individual and are sympathetic with them.”^[4] These “wise persons”^[4] are related to the stigmatized person leading them to develop empathy and understanding for the person. These people will still share the stigmatization that everyone else feels towards the person, but at the same time due to their shared relation they will embrace and accept the person.