Weight bias: relationships with physical activity and sedentary behaviour

The majority of Canadian adults are not meeting the recommended physical activity and sedentary behaviour guidelines. Previous studies have highlighted experiences of weight bias as a potential barrier to physical activity and an enabler of sedentary behaviours. Few studies have examined whether endorsing or internalizing weight bias is associated with these health behaviours. A secondary analysis was conducted on a sample of Canadian adults (N = 891, 52% female, mean age group = 45-54 years; mean body mass index [BMI] = 27.04 ± 6 kg/m²). Participants completed the International Physical Activity Questionnaire, the Sedentary Behaviour Questionnaire, the Modified Weight Bias Internalization Scale, and the Anti-Fat Attitudes Questionnaire (explicit weight bias). Linear regressions were conducted to determine the relationships between weight bias internalization (WBI), explicit weight bias, physical activity and sedentary behaviours. WBI predicted more weekly hours spent engaging in sedentary behaviours (F(6,897) = 14.73, p <.001, R² = 0.09) and anti-fat attitudes (AFA) predicted more weekly minutes of vigorous physical activity (F(6,891) = 5.42, p <.001, adj. R² = 0.03). WBI was not significantly associated with physical activity at any intensity. AFA was not significantly associated with sedentary behaviour, or moderate and mild physical activity. Findings suggest that some elements of weight bias may be related to certain health behaviours like sedentary behaviours and physical activity. Our results warrant further study on other factors that may play a role in the relationships between weight bias and health behaviours. Future research should include longitudinal studies and interventions that investigate the impact of weight bias on health behaviours.