Is Fat Stigma Making Us Miserable?

The New York Times:

Being overweight doesn’t necessarily make a person distraught, researchers are learning. Rather, it’s the teasing, judgment and unsolicited advice directed at overweight people that can cause the greatest psychological harm.

“People assume there is a direct relationship between how much people weigh and their psychological health,” said Jeffrey Hunger, a doctoral candidate in social psychology at the University of California, Santa Barbara. “Our research and other research is showing that no, it’s not about their weight, it’s the treatment they faced and what they worry they will face.”

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Negative stereotypes of fat people are reinforced in entertainment media, from children’s shows to reality television, said Sarah Domoff, a research fellow in clinical psychology at the University of Michigan.

In one study, Dr. Domoff exposed undergraduate students to shows like “The Biggest Loser,” in which weight loss occurs rapidly and within a punishing context. She found that study participants who weren’t trying to lose weight expressed greater disdain of obese people than those who were. Many also expressed a stronger belief that weight is controllable and that a person who fails to lose weight is not trying hard enough.

Read the whole story: The New York Times