Real women have (just the right) curves: investigating anti-thin bias in college women

Abstract

Background: Weight stigma is associated with negative mental and physical health outcomes across the body mass index (BMI) continuum. However, few studies have examined discrimination experienced by people with low body weights.

Objectives: This study explored the presence of anti-thin bias, defined as the belief that individuals at lower body weights have undesirable personality characteristics, in young adult women. Additionally, we examined perceived etiology of weight for women with underweight.

Method: Participants (N =295 women, age 18.84 ± 2.32) were randomly assigned to read one of the six vignettes about women who differed by race (White and Black) and BMI status (slightly underweight, average weight, and slightly overweight).

Results: Negative personality characteristics were more likely to be ascribed to vignette characters with under- or overweight BMIs, compared to characters with average weight BMIs. Participants were more likely to attribute underweight characters' body weight to an eating disorder (ED) compared with average or overweight characters.

Conclusion: Results suggest that women with under- or overweight BMIs experience greater stigmatization for their body weight than women with average BMIs, underscoring the need for research to investigate weight discrimination across the weight spectrum.

Level of evidence: Level I, experimental study.

Keywords: Attributions; Eating disorder; Thinness; Underweight; Weight stigma.