Fat Talk and Body Dissatisfaction Among College Dancers

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate “fat talk” conversations about weight and body dissatisfaction within college dancers. Participants were 116 female undergraduates who were dancers/dance majors (n = 20), dancers/nondance majors (n = 32), and nondancers (n = 63). Participants responded to hypothetical fat-talk scenarios, the Body Esteem Scale (BES; Franzoi and Shields 1984), and a demographic questionnaire. Dancers who were nondance majors reported that they would engage in more fat talk than nondancers and dance majors; there were no differences among the groups on scores on the BES. The study determined that severity of self-critical fat talk negatively predicted BES scores. This research provides insight into the frequency and critical nature of fat talk and body dissatisfaction in college dancers and can be used to increase awareness for both instructors and students of the harmful consequences of engaging in fat talk.