Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 12, 2026
09:36
Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
Published on: February 2, 2017
Sex differences in perceived weight-based stigmatization among African Americans
Pamela E Scott-Johnson1, Susan M Gross, Lynnett M Gray
1Morgan State University, Department of Psychology, Baltimore, Md 21251, USA. pamela.scottjohnson@morgan.edu
Ethnicity & Disease
|June 4, 2010
Summary
Men and women perceive their weight differently, with males often underestimating their overweight or obese status. Accurate weight perception is linked to higher weight stigma.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Psychology
- Sociology
Background:
- Weight perception and weight-based stigma are crucial public health concerns.
- Understanding sex differences in these perceptions is vital for targeted interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate sex differences in calculated versus perceived weight status.
- To examine the relationship between accurate weight perception and weight-based stigmatization.
Main Methods:
- A health and wellness survey was administered to 371 African Americans.
- Body Mass Index (BMI) was calculated; perceived weight was self-reported.
- Weight-based stigmatization was assessed using a 16-statement scale.
Main Results:
- Males and females exhibited significant differences in weight perception (P <.001).
- Over 20% of participants had inaccurate weight perceptions, mostly underestimating their status.
- Accurate perception of being overweight correlated with higher perceived weight stigma.
Conclusions:
- Sex differences in weight perception exist, particularly among overweight/obese individuals.
- Inaccurate weight perception is associated with lower reported weight-based stigma.
- Interventions should consider sex-specific approaches to weight management and stigma reduction.
Related Concept Videos
02:55Stereotypes, Prejudice, and Discrimination
Humans are very diverse and although we share many similarities, we also have many differences. The social groups we belong to help form our identities (Tajfel, 1974). These differences may be difficult for some people to reconcile, which may lead to prejudice toward people who are different. Prejudice is a negative attitude and feeling toward an individual based solely on one’s membership in a particular social group (Allport, 1954; Brown, 2010). Prejudice is common against people who are...
02:16Stereotype Content Model
The Stereotype Content Model (SCM) was first proposed by Susan Fiske and her colleagues (Fiske, Cuddy, Glick & Xu, 2002; see also Fiske, 2012 and Fiske, 2017). The SCM specifies that when someone encounters a new group, they will stereotype them based on two metrics: warmth—or that group’s perceived intent, and how likely they are to provide help or inflict harm—and competence—or their ability to carry out that objective. Depending on the warmth-competence categorization, a person will feel...
01:28Anorexia Nervosa
Anorexia nervosa is a complex and severe eating disorder characterized by an intense fear of weight gain, an unrelenting pursuit of thinness, and a distorted body image. It often leads to dangerously low body weight relative to an individual's age and height. This disorder is marked by significant physical and psychological consequences, making it one of the most life-threatening psychiatric illnesses.
Symptoms and Physical Effects
Individuals with anorexia nervosa commonly exhibit extreme...
Symptoms and Physical Effects
Individuals with anorexia nervosa commonly exhibit extreme...
01:27Sources of Self-Esteem III: Social Comparison
Social comparison plays a fundamental role in the evaluation of personal success and self-worth. Rather than assessing our achievements in isolation, we interpret their significance relative to personal goals and critically in comparison to the performance of others. A grade of B in a mathematics exam might elicit pride if one's expectation was a C, yet result in disappointment if an A was anticipated or if peers achieved superior results. These comparative evaluations illustrate how both...
01:21Drug Dosing: Obese Patients
In the United States, obesity is a prominent concern. It is linked to heightened mortality rates due to increased occurrences of conditions such as hypertension, atherosclerosis, coronary artery disease, and diabetes compared to nonobese individuals. A patient is classified as obese if their actual body weight surpasses the ideal or desirable body weight by 20%, based on Metropolitan Life Insurance Company data. Ideal body weights consider average weights and heights for males and females...
01:29Self-Discrepancy and Its Effects
Self-discrepancy theory explains how people compare their actual self to their ideal and ought selves and how mismatches between these self-guides can lead to emotional distress. Developed by E. Tory Higgins, the theory distinguishes among three components of self-concept: the actual self, the ideal self, and the ought self. These refer respectively to how individuals perceive themselves, how they aspire to be, and how they believe they are obligated to be. Emotional well-being, self-esteem,...