Obesity has been a growing issue globally with more than half a billion people worldwide having a body mass index (BMI) of 30 kg/m2 or higher. Obesity is a multifaceted problem involving physical, social, and psychological dimensions. Veterans are not exempt from this issue with the Veterans Affairs Department (VA) “estimating more tha 165,000 Veterans who receive their health care from the department have a BMI of more than 40, which indicates a serious condition called morbid obesity”. A review of the literature shows healthcare providers have been found to interact with patients with obesity poorly due to obesity stigma thereby perpetuating the problem. The John’s Hopkins Nursing Evidence Based Practice Model (JHNEBP) was utilized in the implementation of this quality improvement project. A Whole Health Clinic team of interdisciplinary providers caring for Veterans participated in this project. Bruner’s Discovery Learning Theory’s ideals are utilized to create an obesity stigma education for the providers. One goal of the education was to increase providers awareness of internal bias. Another goal was to assess whether the education changed any beliefs for attitudes of the providers. Prior to the education the team members completed two Likert scales. The team members repeated the surveys again post education. Results of paired t-tests of pre-and post-self- reported ATOP and BAOP surveys show no significant change in attitudes or beliefs regarding obesity for these participants. This finding does not agree with the current literature on this topic. The results of this study were unexpected. It is highly likely the project would have different results with a larger sample. It is also likely the results would be different if these were providers in a family practice clinic. It is recommended this project be replicated and expounded on with in a larger system of family practice clinic due to the increasing rates of patients with obesity in our nation and worldwide.
