Psychology Faculty Publications

Title

Individual Differences and Weight Bias: Do People with an Anti-Fat Bias Have a Pro-Thin Bias?

Document Type

Article

Abstract

While levels of weight bias vary among individuals, it is not clear why one person possesses stronger anti-fat attitudes than another person. This investigation examined whether individual differences commonly associated with greater anti-fat bias are also associated with a greater preference for thinness among people of varying levels of weight. Young adults (62% women; 84% Caucasian) recruited from psychology classes (N=308) rated four male and female figures with approximate BMIs of 18.5, 25, 30, and 40, on measures of dislike and personality characteristics and completed measures assessing weight controllability, attitudes toward the obese, and perceptual reliance. Greater negative attitudes, weight controllability beliefs, and perceptual reliance were positively associated with greater dislike and negative personality attributes among obese/severely obese figures, but inversely related among low normal weight figures. Individuals who judge others based on physical features or who view obesity as controllable evidence greater weight bias and a stronger preference for thin body types.

Publisher's Statement

Availability via databases maintained by the United States National Library of Medicine.

Publication Date

3-2010

Publication Title

Body Image

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2009.11.005

Start Page No.

143

End Page No.

148

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