Self-Compassion May Have Benefits for Body Image among Women with a Higher Body Mass Index and Internalized Weight Bias
Negative attitudes towards one’s own body are common among women and are linked to adverse consequences including negative affect, low self-esteem, and eating pathology. Self-compassion has been found effective in improving body image; however, few published studies have examined self-compassion in...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-03-01
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| Series: | Healthcare |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/11/7/970 |
| _version_ | 1797607947894784000 |
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| author | Bethany A. Nightingale Stephanie E. Cassin |
| author_facet | Bethany A. Nightingale Stephanie E. Cassin |
| author_sort | Bethany A. Nightingale |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Negative attitudes towards one’s own body are common among women and are linked to adverse consequences including negative affect, low self-esteem, and eating pathology. Self-compassion has been found effective in improving body image; however, few published studies have examined self-compassion in populations with higher BMIs despite the positive correlation between weight and body dissatisfaction. The current study examined the efficacy of a self-compassion letter-writing exercise versus two active control groups in response to a negative body image induction. The sample of college-aged females (<i>M</i> age = 20.91 years; <i>SD</i> = 5.47) was split between higher and lower BMI to determine whether self-compassion affects body image, affect, and self-esteem differently across weight groups. Weight bias internalization (WBI: i.e., internalization of society’s negative stigma against those with higher BMIs) was examined as a moderator of this relationship in the higher BMI group. Results suggest that letter writing improved body image regardless of condition (<i>p</i> < 0.001). The self-compassion exercise promoted more adaptive body image (<i>p</i> = 0.007) and self-compassion (<i>p</i> = 0.013) than one control condition for those with high WBI. Results suggest that self-compassion can be helpful in ameliorating negative body image for females of all sizes, and that levels of WBI may alter the effect of body image interventions. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T05:36:47Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5cadb2fdba3646449475db93bda5f8f6 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2227-9032 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T05:36:47Z |
| publishDate | 2023-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Healthcare |
| spelling | doaj.art-5cadb2fdba3646449475db93bda5f8f62023-11-17T16:43:35ZengMDPI AGHealthcare2227-90322023-03-0111797010.3390/healthcare11070970Self-Compassion May Have Benefits for Body Image among Women with a Higher Body Mass Index and Internalized Weight BiasBethany A. Nightingale0Stephanie E. Cassin1Department of Psychology, Toronto Metropolitan University, 350 Victoria St, Toronto, ON M5B 2K3, CanadaDepartment of Psychology, Toronto Metropolitan University, 350 Victoria St, Toronto, ON M5B 2K3, CanadaNegative attitudes towards one’s own body are common among women and are linked to adverse consequences including negative affect, low self-esteem, and eating pathology. Self-compassion has been found effective in improving body image; however, few published studies have examined self-compassion in populations with higher BMIs despite the positive correlation between weight and body dissatisfaction. The current study examined the efficacy of a self-compassion letter-writing exercise versus two active control groups in response to a negative body image induction. The sample of college-aged females (<i>M</i> age = 20.91 years; <i>SD</i> = 5.47) was split between higher and lower BMI to determine whether self-compassion affects body image, affect, and self-esteem differently across weight groups. Weight bias internalization (WBI: i.e., internalization of society’s negative stigma against those with higher BMIs) was examined as a moderator of this relationship in the higher BMI group. Results suggest that letter writing improved body image regardless of condition (<i>p</i> < 0.001). The self-compassion exercise promoted more adaptive body image (<i>p</i> = 0.007) and self-compassion (<i>p</i> = 0.013) than one control condition for those with high WBI. Results suggest that self-compassion can be helpful in ameliorating negative body image for females of all sizes, and that levels of WBI may alter the effect of body image interventions.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/11/7/970body imagebody weightcompassionself-compassionweight bias internalization |
| spellingShingle | Bethany A. Nightingale Stephanie E. Cassin Self-Compassion May Have Benefits for Body Image among Women with a Higher Body Mass Index and Internalized Weight Bias Healthcare body image body weight compassion self-compassion weight bias internalization |
| title | Self-Compassion May Have Benefits for Body Image among Women with a Higher Body Mass Index and Internalized Weight Bias |
| title_full | Self-Compassion May Have Benefits for Body Image among Women with a Higher Body Mass Index and Internalized Weight Bias |
| title_fullStr | Self-Compassion May Have Benefits for Body Image among Women with a Higher Body Mass Index and Internalized Weight Bias |
| title_full_unstemmed | Self-Compassion May Have Benefits for Body Image among Women with a Higher Body Mass Index and Internalized Weight Bias |
| title_short | Self-Compassion May Have Benefits for Body Image among Women with a Higher Body Mass Index and Internalized Weight Bias |
| title_sort | self compassion may have benefits for body image among women with a higher body mass index and internalized weight bias |
| topic | body image body weight compassion self-compassion weight bias internalization |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/11/7/970 |
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