Explicit, Implicit, and Internalized Weight Bias: Relationships With Self-Perceptions of Weight and Current Dieting

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Public Health
• Sociology

Background:

• Negative attitudes toward body size, encompassing explicit, implicit, and internalized weight bias, are linked to adverse health outcomes, especially for individuals in larger bodies.
• Weight bias contributes to significant health disparities and negative psychological impacts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationships between different forms of weight bias (explicit, implicit, internalized) and body mass index (BMI).
• To examine how these factors influence self-perceived weight and current dieting behaviors.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional online survey study involving 392 diverse participants.
• Utilized validated questionnaires to measure explicit weight bias (Anti-Fat Attitudes Questionnaire), implicit weight bias (Implicit Attitudes Test), and internalized weight bias (Weight Bias Internalization-Modified Questionnaire).
• Regression models analyzed the associations between weight bias, BMI, self-perceived weight, and dieting, controlling for gender.

Main Results:

• Internalized weight bias and certain explicit weight bias domains (e.g., belief in willpower) were positively associated with dieting and self-perceived weight.
• Significant interactions were found between BMI and explicit weight bias (Fear of Fat) for self-perceived weight and dieting.
• BMI interacted with implicit weight bias, leading to greater discrepancies between actual and self-perceived weight in individuals with higher bias.

Conclusions:

• Internalized and some explicit weight biases correlate with higher self-perceived weight and increased likelihood of dieting.
• Implicit weight bias, in conjunction with BMI, influences body size perception, underscoring its role in disordered eating.
• Findings emphasize the critical need to address weight bias in understanding and mitigating disordered eating risks.