Predictors of Fat Stereotypes among 9‐Year‐Old Girls and Their Parents

Abstract

DAVISON, KIRSTEN KRAHNSTOEVER, AND LEANN LIPPS BIRCH. Predictors of fat stereotypes among 9-yearold girls and their parents. Obes Res. 2004;12:86 -94. Objective: To assess familial links in fat stereotypes and predictors of stereotypes among girls and their parents. Research Methods and Procedures: Fat stereotypes were assessed using a questionnaire developed for this study. Participants indicated the extent to which they agreed with nine statements about thin people (e.g., thin people are smart) and the same statements about fat people (e.g., fat people are smart). Predictors of fat stereotypes that were examined include weight status (BMI; girls and parents), education (parents), income (parents), self-investment in physical appearance (parents), maladaptive eating attitudes (girls), and parenting practices and peer interactions focused on body shape and weight loss (girls). Results: Girls and parents exhibited fat stereotypes. Fathers who were more educated and had a higher family income were more likely to endorse fat stereotypes, as were mothers and fathers with a high investment in their physical appearance. Although no associations were found between girls' and parents' fat stereotypes, girls were more likely to endorse fat stereotypes when interactions with parents and peers focused on body shape and weight loss. Girls were also more likely to endorse fat stereotypes when they reported higher levels of maladaptive eating attitudes. No associations were found between weight status and fat stereotypes. Discussion: Although there was no association between girls' and parents' fat stereotypes, girls were more likely to express negative attitudes about obesity and obese persons when parenting practices and interactions with peers promoted a lean body type, suggesting that there may be an implicit link between the lean ideal and fat stereotypes.

Stigma, obesity, and the health of the nation's children.

“…Among 113 preschool children, Cramer and Steinwert (1998) found that negative stereotypes persisted regardless of children's own body weight and that on some assessment tasks overweight preschoolers actually demonstrated stronger stereotypes than did nonoverweight peers. A study of children ages 7-9 years reported that BMI did not affect negative ratings of overweight targets with line drawings of silhouettes (Kraig & Keel, 2001), and other research with 9-year-old girls found no relationship between body weight and negative stereotypes, despite the fact that one-third of girls were overweight and 14% were obese (Davison & Birch, 2004). These findings parallel results of other studies (Counts et al, 1986; and are similar to findings among adults that show overweight and obese persons are just as likely to endorse stigmatizing attitudes as are nonoverweight persons Schwartz, Vartanian, Nosek, & Brownell, 2006;S.…”

“…Although limited work has examined parental bias, consistent and discouraging findings have emerged with different methodologies. Davison and Birch (2004) examined stereotypes about obesity among 9-year-old girls and their parents (N ϭ 178), both of whom ascribed significantly more negative characteristics (e.g., laziness) to obese persons than to thinner persons. Fathers with higher education and income were more likely to endorse stereotypes, as were both parents who reported a strong investment in their own appearance.…”

“…There is also a growing literature demonstrating that overweight and obese children and adolescents are targets of societal stigmatization. Research suggests that overweight and obese youths are victims of bias and stereotyping by peers (Brylinsky & Moore, 1994;Kraig & Keel, 2001;Latner & Stunkard, 2003;Neumark-Sztainer et al, 2002;Neumark-Sztainer, Story, & Faibisch, 1998), educators (Bauer, Yang, & Austin, 2004;Canning & Mayer, 1966;Neumark-Sztainer, Story, & Harris, 1999), and even parents (Adams, Hicken, & Salehi, 1988;Crandall, 1991Crandall, , 1995Davison & Birch, 2004). This is particularly concerning during childhood and adolescence when the formation of social relationships is salient; children may be especially vulnerable and sensitive to weight stigmatization and its consequences.…”

Peer discrimination of obese children. Research conducted based on a programme for dealing with aggression organised for children attending elementary school

“…It was found that messages conveying negative stereotypes of obese individuals, and idealization of thin people, mostly come from mass media [10]. Due to this, it seems that a mass media campaign directed at the development of tolerant attitudes towards somatic differences such as being obese could be effective in minimizing the degree to which children internalise the thin ideal [15]. Victimization of obese peers is often related to internal bias against an obese status.…”

Prejudicial and Stereotypical Attitudes about the Issue of Obesity: An Action Project

“…As found by Tiggemann & Wilson-Barrett (1998), Davison & Birch (2004), and Harriger et al (2010), overweight body pictures were valued by children as more mean, sick, ugly, stupid, dirty, lazy, and sloppy, and less smart, happy, popular and attractive than normal-weight ones. In relation to these dimensions, the authors of the current project explored social attitudes and stereotyped beliefs toward fat people, carrying out two recent studies, respectively, one with female Italian university students, using the Anti-fat Attitudes Scale and Dislike of Fat People Scale, Semantic Differentials for the representation of Fat People, Thin People, and Self-Concept, and Fat Stereotypes Questionnaire (see , and the other with Italian pupils aged from 5 to 10 , utilizing the Anti-fat Attitudes Scale, the choice of best friend and classmate and the rejection referred to recreational activities, and Fat Stereotypes Questionnaire.…”