A sympathetic nervous system evaluation of obesity stigma

Abstract

The portrayal of obesity in the media is often one of negativity. Consequently, it may generate an increase in stigma. Obesity stigma, a form of social discrimination, is responsible for many of the negative psychological and physiological effects on individual wellness. These effects not only impact individual health, but also affect the economy, and ultimately, societal wellness. In an attempt to examine the influence of the media on obesity stigma, this study tested the hypothesis that positive priming would lead to a reduction in obesity stigma. To further our understanding of this relationship, we: 1) examined the role of priming on physiological measures (e.g. salivary alpha amylase and skin conductance) in 70 college students by introducing positive and negative media images of individuals with obesity, and 2) assessed psychological measures (e.g. perceived stress, need to belong, and self-esteem, and Body Mass Index). After the priming manipulation, participants read a vignette depicting the discrimination of an individual with obesity and answered subsequent questions assessing participants’ attributional blame of obesity. Results of this study revealed that priming affects physiological responding to obesity stigmatization. In conclusion, these findings suggest that incorporating positive media images of individuals with obesity may be an effective tool for reducing stigma and the various physiological consequences associated with it, which in turn, can enhance societal health and wellness.

Influence and effects of weight stigmatisation in media: A systematic review

“…More than half of the included studies were from North America, with 65 from the USA 6 , 16 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 , 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 , 53 , 54 , 55 , 56 , 57 , 58 , 59 , 60 , 61 , 62 , 63 , 64 , 65 , 66 , 67 , 68 , 69 , 70 , 71 , 72 , 73 , 74 , 75 , 76 , 77 , 78 , 79 , 80 and five from Canada. 81 , 82 , 83 , 84 , …”

“…120 Five studies included a cross-national focus. 7 , 121 , 122 , 123 , 124 Of the included studies, 48 were quantitative 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 24 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 37 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 , 45 , 46 , 50 , 51 , 54 , 55 , 56 , 57 , 58 , 60 , 61 , 63 , 64 , 65 , 66 , 67 , 69 , 73 , 74 , 76 , 77 , 80 , 83 , 84 , 87 , 90 , 91 , 98 , 102 , 106 , 120 , 124 and 55 were qualitative. 20 , 21 , 23 , 25 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 35 , 38 , 43 ,…”

“… 20 , 43 , 48 On the other, where people with overweight or obesity were included, it was typically in ways that could contribute to stigma. 22 , 23 , 38 , 48 , 49 , 51 , 52 , 62 , 65 , 68 , 71 , 91 , 111 , 113 , 121 , 122 Backstrom 27 argued that the negative representation of overweight and obesity has a long history dating back to so-called “freak shows” and has not changed substantially in more recent times. Studies of imagery of people with overweight or obesity found that their bodies were frequently criticised, and depicted as headless, from behind, or in other unflattering ways, such as with negative facial expressions, poorly fitting clothes, eating unhealthy foods, or while sedentary.…”

Self-care and Health Care in Postpartum Women with Obesity: A Qualitative Study

“…Obesity has a stigma, a form of social discrimination that can cause many negative psychological effects in an individual. 11,19 Another aspect to be emphasized in our study of the experiences of women vis-à-vis their self-care is that they show that this is an opportune moment for interventions, since they feel that the experiences of motherhood bring an important maturing, and that, since pregnancy, they have become more inclined to acquire new habits. In the literature, we find that interventions by women's healthcare teams should be present during the pregnancy and continue throughout the puerperium to ensure that new habits be maintained.…”

Impact of obesity and gender differences on electrodermal activities

“…Park et al (2015) demonstrated that the skin conductance levels (SCLs) were not correlated with obesity for levels of stress. Likewise, Oliver et al (2017) demonstrated that the skin conductance responses (SCRs) reactivity to stress were not affected by obesity. There appears that only few and limited studies have been conducted to investigate the impacts of gender differences and obesity on EDA responses and levels.…”