Psychology Faculty Publications
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.
Copyright Statement
Publisher PDF
Publisher's Statement
Availability via databases maintained by the United States National Library of Medicine.
Repository Citation
Carels, Robert A. and Musher-Eizenman, Dara, "Individual Differences and Weight Bias: Do People with an Anti-Fat Bias Have a Pro-Thin Bias?" (2010). Psychology Faculty Publications. 29.
https://scholarworks.bgsu.edu/psych_pub/29
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