Anti-fat bias

About: Anti-fat bias is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 42 publications have been published within this topic receiving 5611 citations.

Bias, Discrimination, and Obesity

Abstract: This article reviews information on discriminatory attitudes and behaviors against obese individuals, integrates this to show whether systematic discrimination occurs and why, and discusses needed work in the field. Clear and consistent stigmatization, and in some cases discrimination, can be documented in three important areas of living: employment, education, and health care. Among the findings are that 28% of teachers in one study said that becoming obese is the worst thing that can happen to a person; 24% of nurses said that they are "repulsed" by obese persons; and, controlling for income and grades, parents provide less college support for their overweight than for their thin children. There are also suggestions but not yet documentation of discrimination occurring in adoption proceedings, jury selection, housing, and other areas. Given the vast numbers of people potentially affected, it is important to consider the research-related, educational, and social policy implications of these findings.

Weight Bias among Health Professionals Specializing in Obesity

Abstract: SCHWARTZ, MARLENE B., HEATHER O’NEAL CHAMBLISS, KELLY D. BROWNELL, STEVEN N. BLAIR, AND CHARLES BILLINGTON. Weight bias among health professionals specializing in obesity. Obes Res. 2003;11:1033–1039. Purpose: To determine the level of anti-fat bias in health professionals specializing in obesity and identify personal characteristics that correlate with both implicit and explicit bias. Research Methods and Procedures: The Implicit Associations Test (IAT) and a self-report questionnaire assessing explicit attitudes, personal experiences with obesity, and demographic characteristics was administered to clinicians and researchers attending the opening session of an international obesity conference (N 389). The IAT was used to assess overall implicit weight bias (associating “obese people” and “thin people” with “good” vs. “bad”) and three ranges of stereotypes: lazy-motivated, smart-stupid, and valuable-worthless. The questionnaire assessed explicit bias on the same dimensions, along with personal and professional experiences with obesity. Results: Health professionals exhibited a significant prothin, anti-fat implicit bias on the IAT. In addition, the subjects significantly endorsed the implicit stereotypes of lazy, stupid, and worthless using the IAT. Level of bias was associated with several personal characteristics. Characteristics significantly predictive of lower levels of implicit anti-fat bias include being male, older, having a positive emotional outlook on life, weighing more, having friends who are obese, and indicating an understanding of the experience of obesity. Discussion: Even professionals whose careers emphasize research or the clinical management of obesity show very strong weight bias, indicating pervasive and powerful stigma. Understanding the extent of anti-fat bias and the personal characteristics associated with it will aid in developing intervention strategies to ameliorate these damaging attitudes.

Implicit anti-fat bias among health professionals: is anyone immune?

Abstract: A total of 84 health professionals who treat obesity (71% male, mean age 48 y, mean body mass index (BMI) 25.39). completed a series of implicit and explicit attitude and belief measures. Results were compared to measures obtained from a general population sample. Participants completed an attitude- and a belief-based lmplicit Association Test. This reaction time measure of automatic memory-based associations asked participants to classify words into the following target category pair. 'fat people' vs 'thin people'. Simultaneously, the tasks required categorization of words into one of the following descriptor category pairs: good vs bad (attitude measure) or motivated vs lazy (stereotype measure). Participants also reported explicit attitudes and beliefs about fat and thin persons. Clear evidence for implicit anti-fat bias was found for both the attitude and stereotype measures. As expected, this bias was strong but was lower than bias in the general population. Also as predicted, only minimal evidence for an explicit anti-fat bias was found. Implicit and explicit measures of the lazy stereotype were positively related although the attitude measures were not.

The influence of one's own body weight on implicit and explicit anti-fat bias.

Abstract: SCHWARTZ, MARLENE B., LENNY R. VARTANIAN, BRIAN A. NOSEK, AND KELLY D. BROWNELL. The influence of one’s own body weight on implicit and explicit anti-fat bias. Obesity. 2006;14:440–447. Objective: This study examined the influence of one’s own body weight on the strength of implicit and explicit anti-fat bias. Research Methods and Procedure: Implicit and explicit anti-fat attitudes and obesity stereotypes were assessed among a large online sample (N 4283) that included representation from across the weight spectrum (from underweight to extremely obese). Respondents also indicated their willingness to make a range of personal sacrifices in exchange for not being obese. Results: All weight groups exhibited significant anti-fat bias, but there was an inverse relation between one’s own weight and the level of observed bias. Thinner people were more likely to automatically associate negative attributes (bad, lazy) with fat people, to prefer thin people to fat people, and to explicitly rate fat people as lazier and less motivated than thin people. However, when the lazy stereotype was contrasted with another negative attribute (anxious), obese and non-obese people exhibited equally strong implicit stereotyping. Finally, a substantial proportion of respondents indicated a willingness to endure aversive life events to avoid being obese. For example, 46% of the total sample indicated that they would rather give up 1 year of life than be obese, and 30% reported that they would rather be divorced than be obese. In each case, thinner people were more willing to sacrifice aspects of their health or life circumstances than were heavier people. Discussion: Although the strength of weight bias decreased as respondents’ body weight increased, a significant degree of anti-fat bias was still evident among even the most obese group of respondents, highlighting the pervasiveness of this bias.

Demonstrations of implicit anti-fat bias: The impact of providing causal information and evoking empathy

Abstract: Three studies investigated implicit biases, and their modifiability, against overweight persons. In Study 1 (N = 144), the authors demonstrated strong implicit anti-fat attitudes and stereotypes using the Implicit Association Test, despite no explicit anti-fat bias. When participants were informed that obesity is caused predominantly by overeating and lack of exercise, higher implicit bias relative to controls was produced; informing participants that obesity is mainly due to genetic factors did not result in lower bias. In Studies 2A (N = 90) and 2B (N = 63), participants read stories of discrimination against obese persons to evoke empathy. This did not lead to lower bias compared with controls but did produce diminished implicit bias among overweight participants, suggesting an in-group bias.