Exploring Responses to Body Weight Criticism: Defensive Avoidance When Weight Is Seen as Controllable
In Western society, weight moralization is reflected in the belief that weight is controllable across the weight spectrum. However, the effect of holding such beliefs is unclear. We therefore propose that these beliefs affect people differently depending on their BMI. When confronted with negative,...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2020-12-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.598109/full |
| _version_ | 1818730569558654976 |
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| author | Susanne Täuber Stuart W. Flint Stuart W. Flint Nicolay Gausel |
| author_facet | Susanne Täuber Stuart W. Flint Stuart W. Flint Nicolay Gausel |
| author_sort | Susanne Täuber |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In Western society, weight moralization is reflected in the belief that weight is controllable across the weight spectrum. However, the effect of holding such beliefs is unclear. We therefore propose that these beliefs affect people differently depending on their BMI. When confronted with negative, self-related feedback, people’s coping strategies are often reflected in the ways they relate to their self. We examine three such self-to-self relations (i.e., reassured, inadequate, and hated self). Extending prior research, we predict that weight controllability beliefs are related to positive self-to-self relations for adults with a low, and to negative self-to-self relations for adults with a high BMI. Accordingly, we expected that weight controllability beliefs would be associated with defensive avoidance among people with a high, but not with a low BMI. We tested our hypotheses in a sample of 348 adults who participated in an online survey. Weight controllability beliefs were associated with increased defensive avoidance in people with high BMI, and with decreased defensive avoidance in adults with a low BMI. Forms of self-to-self relating fully mediated this association, demonstrating positive effects on adults with a low, and negative effects on adults with a high BMI. Additionally, in an open ending section, we found seven social settings that deprive people from satisfying their need to belong and to be accepted due to their weight. We discuss our findings against a call for a less moralized public discourse about overweight and obesity that is particularly relevant in the context of the current COVID-19 pandemic. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-17T23:03:52Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b39bac5b7a664b4a80ba19cc60da065b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-17T23:03:52Z |
| publishDate | 2020-12-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-b39bac5b7a664b4a80ba19cc60da065b2022-12-21T21:29:20ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782020-12-011110.3389/fpsyg.2020.598109598109Exploring Responses to Body Weight Criticism: Defensive Avoidance When Weight Is Seen as ControllableSusanne Täuber0Stuart W. Flint1Stuart W. Flint2Nicolay Gausel3Department of Human Resource Management and Organizational Behavior, University of Groningen, Groningen, NetherlandsSchool of Psychology, University of Leeds, Leeds, United KingdomScaled Insights, Nexus, University of Leeds, Leeds, United KingdomFaculty of Health and Welfare, Østfold University College, Fredrikstad, NorwayIn Western society, weight moralization is reflected in the belief that weight is controllable across the weight spectrum. However, the effect of holding such beliefs is unclear. We therefore propose that these beliefs affect people differently depending on their BMI. When confronted with negative, self-related feedback, people’s coping strategies are often reflected in the ways they relate to their self. We examine three such self-to-self relations (i.e., reassured, inadequate, and hated self). Extending prior research, we predict that weight controllability beliefs are related to positive self-to-self relations for adults with a low, and to negative self-to-self relations for adults with a high BMI. Accordingly, we expected that weight controllability beliefs would be associated with defensive avoidance among people with a high, but not with a low BMI. We tested our hypotheses in a sample of 348 adults who participated in an online survey. Weight controllability beliefs were associated with increased defensive avoidance in people with high BMI, and with decreased defensive avoidance in adults with a low BMI. Forms of self-to-self relating fully mediated this association, demonstrating positive effects on adults with a low, and negative effects on adults with a high BMI. Additionally, in an open ending section, we found seven social settings that deprive people from satisfying their need to belong and to be accepted due to their weight. We discuss our findings against a call for a less moralized public discourse about overweight and obesity that is particularly relevant in the context of the current COVID-19 pandemic.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.598109/fullweight moralizationobesity controllability beliefsbody mass indexself-to-self relatingdefensive avoidancebelongingness and acceptance |
| spellingShingle | Susanne Täuber Stuart W. Flint Stuart W. Flint Nicolay Gausel Exploring Responses to Body Weight Criticism: Defensive Avoidance When Weight Is Seen as Controllable Frontiers in Psychology weight moralization obesity controllability beliefs body mass index self-to-self relating defensive avoidance belongingness and acceptance |
| title | Exploring Responses to Body Weight Criticism: Defensive Avoidance When Weight Is Seen as Controllable |
| title_full | Exploring Responses to Body Weight Criticism: Defensive Avoidance When Weight Is Seen as Controllable |
| title_fullStr | Exploring Responses to Body Weight Criticism: Defensive Avoidance When Weight Is Seen as Controllable |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring Responses to Body Weight Criticism: Defensive Avoidance When Weight Is Seen as Controllable |
| title_short | Exploring Responses to Body Weight Criticism: Defensive Avoidance When Weight Is Seen as Controllable |
| title_sort | exploring responses to body weight criticism defensive avoidance when weight is seen as controllable |
| topic | weight moralization obesity controllability beliefs body mass index self-to-self relating defensive avoidance belongingness and acceptance |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.598109/full |
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