Childhood obesity and social stigma: What we know and what we don't know

Jarvie, Gregory J.; Lahey, Benjamin B.; Graziano, William G.; Framer, Edward M.

doi:10.1016/0273-2297(83)90015-1

Cited by 75 publications

(62 citation statements)

References 110 publications

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“…These results are consistent with other reports that obese individuals have negative attitudes toward obesity [11,18,19,23,24]. Stigmatization is a social attitude rather than an individual one.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Stigmatization of Overweight Mexican Children

Bacardı́-Gascón

Leon-Reyes

Jiménez-Cruz

2007

Child Psychiatry Hum Dev

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The present study was designed to determine the weight-based stigmatization of Mexican overweight (OW) and non-OW children by their mothers and peers, who rated both boys and girls with varying physical characteristics. Four hundred and thirty-two fifth and sixth graders and 342 mothers participated in the study. Children were administered a questionnaire displaying six drawings. Participants' responses were numbered in order of preference from 1 to 6 (most to least well liked). Participants were divided into categories based on socioeconomic status, ethnicity, and current body mass index. The majority of children chose the child in a wheelchair as the preferred friend. Boys and girls, Indian and non-Indian, with and without risk of OW chose the obese peer as the least-preferred friend. Non-OW girls and their mothers liked the obese child less than non-OW boys and their mothers. Agreement correlations between mothers and children were rho = 0.19 (P = 0.0001), rho = 0.17 (P = 0.001), and rho = 0.13 (P = 0.02) for the healthy child, child with missing arm, and obese child, respectively. There was a strong correlation between Indian mothers and non-OW daughters (rho = 0.54, P = 0.009) on choosing the drawing of the obese child as the least preferred friend. These data suggest an influential effect of the negative attitude of mothers toward the obese child, which are projected to their children.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Stigmatization of Overweight Mexican Children

Bacardı́-Gascón

Leon-Reyes

Jiménez-Cruz

2007

Child Psychiatry Hum Dev

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“…Considering these outcomes in more detail, finding that ranking-based approaches yield more negativity than ratings supports the caution of Jarvie et al (1983) that certain approaches may foster, and possibly overestimate, the degree of negativity in stereotyping studies. Overall, while there was preference for the healthy weight (non-visibly different) character, all character versions were viewed positively.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 81%

“…For example, rank ordering simple line drawings may indicate preference but ranking reveals little about how negative attitudes are, and may even overestimate negativity (Jarvie, Lahey, Graziano, & Framer, 1983). The same is true of studies that ask children to match adjectives (e.g., lazy, dirty, ugly) to fat or thin drawn figures (Dunkeld Turnbull, Heaslip, & McLeod, 2000;Staffieri, 1967).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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“No fat friend of mine”: Young children's responses to overweight and disability

2016

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Two studies investigated 4-to 6-year-old children's weight bias. In Study 1, 126 children read illustrated books where a main character ('Alfie') was healthy weight, in a wheelchair, or overweight. In Study 2, 150 children read the same stories where the character was female ('Alfina'), or stories where her friends were fat. Children rated 'Alfie'/'Alfina' and a comparison character on nine attributes/behaviours, and chose one that best represented each attribute. Fat and wheelchair 'Alfie'/'Alfina' were rated less likely to win a race, and fat 'Alfie'/'Alfina' as having fewer friends. When forced to choose between characters, fat 'Alfie'/'Alfina' was rejected on most constructs. Children's gender, self-perceived shape, and character's friends' size had no effect on judgements. These findings show children's preferences away from fatness rather than outright rejection, and mostly clearly in friendship choices. Understanding young children's weight bias is important given their increasing involvement in obesity surveillance, prevention, and management.Keywords: Weight bias; Anti-fat attitudes; Stereotyping; Children; Disability; Social rejection 3 "No fat friend of mine": Young children's responses to overweight and disability Bias against people with obesity is evident through well-documented inequities in key areas of people's lives such as employment, education, and healthcare (Puhl & Heuer, 2009). The unacceptability of fatness is reflected in media such as advertising and TV programming and in a portrayal of weight loss that is contingent on personal effort. Given that people with obesity are consequently blamed for their state of body it is unsurprising that experienced (and perceived) weight bias increases vulnerability to psychological and emotional distress.Social marginalization is pivotal to weight bias and stems from the pervasive negative stereotypes regarding the character and behaviour of people with obesity (Puhl & Heuer, 2009). Research into children's obesity stereotyping has a long history and originated in studies of their perception of disability. Asking 10-to11-year-old children, "Which boy (girl) do you like best" from six drawings of children with different physical disabilities, no disability, or obesity, showed the obese child was generally the last to be selected (Richardson, Goodman, Hastorf, & Dornbusch, 1961). In a replication some 40 years later, pre-teen children were even less likely to choose the obese child drawing as being liked over any of the others (Latner & Stunkard, 2003). Increases in obesity prevalence over this period and children's presumed increased familiarity with obesity appear to have done little to ameliorate these negative views.Reviewing the literature on weight stigma in children and adolescents, Puhl and Latner (2007) distinguish educators, parents, and peers as the primary sources of weight bias. The rejection of an obese target (usually a drawing or cartoon) as a friend, someone to play with, or to date, is common to many studies of teens and younge...

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“…It is clear that children hold extremely negative views of the obese (Jarvie, Lahey, Graziano, & Framer, 1983) in that fat children are ranked consistently last on a range of measures. Both Tiggemann and Pennington (1990) and Hill (1993) have suggested the negative views that children hold of the overweight are very influential in determining their beliefs concerning correct and incorrect body size.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%