Lower Body Esteem Research Articles

Implicit anti-fat bias in physical educators: physical attributes, ideology and socialization

To investigate the implicit and explicit prejudice of physical education (PE) students before, and following extensive professional training, and to examine the relationship of anti-fat prejudice to relevant psychosocial predictors. Implicit and explicit anti-fat prejudice of year one and three PE students (cross-sectional sample) were assessed and compared to a similarly matched (age, body mass index (BMI), education) sample of psychology students. Three hundred and forty-four university students, 180 PE students, 164 psychology students (67% female, mean age 20 years, BMI: mean 23.18 kg/m(2)). Measures of implicit and explicit anti-fat prejudice were administered to PE and psychology students in either their second week, or near completion of their third year, of university study. Physical identity, body esteem and social dominance orientation (SDO) were assessed in order to establish their relationship with anti-fat bias. PE students displayed higher levels of implicit anti-fat bias than psychology students, and other health professionals. Additionally, year three PE students displayed higher levels of implicit anti-fat attitudes than year one PE students. The higher implicit anti-fat biases exhibited by year three PE students were associated with SDO, and lower body esteem. Physical educators, and particularly those more socialized in the PE environment, display strong negative prejudice toward obese individuals that is greater than that displayed by other groups. These prejudices appear to be supported by an over-investment in physical attributes, and ideological beliefs.

“I Thought I was Less Worthy”: Low Sexual and Body Esteem and Increased Vulnerability to Intimate Partner Abuse in Women with Physical Disabilities

Several studies have documented disproportionately low sexual and body esteem in women with high degrees of physical impairment. Moreover, other studies have begun to examine the problem of intimate partner and other forms of abuse in women with physical disabilities. In this article we examine the link between low sexual and body esteem and intimate partner abuse in women with physical disabilities based on findings obtained from an in-depth qualitative study. Findings indicate that women with high degrees of physical impairment are more likely to perceive themselves as sexually inadequate and unattractive than women with mild impairment. These negative perceptions, when combined with a strong desire to be partnered, increased women’s vulnerability to getting into and staying in abusive relationships over time. Major themes presented in the article include: societal devaluation, low sexual and body esteem, preference for non-disabled men, desire to be partnered, and relationship decision-making. We depict the relationships between each of these themes in a simple model to further aid the reader’s understanding.

Eating and body image concerns among average-weight and obese African American and Hispanic girls

Concern has been expressed that African American and Hispanic girls, because of their greater prevalence and degree of overweight, may be at greater risk than Caucasian girls for the development of bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder. A cross-sectional study was undertaken to document the prevalence of overweight and obesity and to compare overweight and obese girls to average-weight girls with regard to early warning signs of eating disorder development. Participants included 139 predominantly African American and Hispanic girls who were classified as average weight, overweight, or obese in Grades 4 and 5. Overall, 18% of the girls were overweight and an additional 30.9% were obese. Overweight and obese girls had lower body esteem and greater concerns about peer influence than did their average-weight peers. They did not have greater fears of negative evaluation or more disturbed eating attitudes and behaviors. Future research should incorporate instruments more sensitive to disorders of overeating and investigate how eating disorder development differs among girls from various racial and ethnic backgrounds.

Interpersonal influence and disordered eating behaviors in adolescent girls: The role of peer modeling, social reinforcement, and body-related teasing

This study investigated the association between interpersonal relationships, eating behaviors, and body esteem in a sample of adolescent girls. Participants included 876 girls who completed questionnaires regarding body esteem, eating behavior, peer pressure, and interpersonal relationships. Peer pressure was a strong predictor of eating behavior and body esteem after controlling for interpersonal variables. High externalized self-perceptions, self-reported teasing, and attributions about the importance of weight and shape for popularity and dating were important predictors of both body esteem and eating behavior. Also, girls who were nominated as popular by peers were more likely to engage in disordered eating and have lower body esteem. Results highlight the need for eating disorder prevention at the level of the peer group. Programs should focus on decreasing pressure to be thin, acceptance by peers for attributes other than appearance, and combating weight- and shape-related teasing within the school system.

A two-factor model of disordered eating

General psychopathology (i.e., personality disturbance, mood/affect dysregulation) has been identified as common and perhaps etiologically important in eating disorder (ED) patients. In this context, we examined a two-factor model of disordered eating which implicated the independent and interactive contribution of (a) general psychopathology (personality) and (b) eating-related psychopathology (body esteem) in explaining deviant eating patterns. A sample of 266 female college/university students ( M age=22.1) and 76 women with a clinically diagnosed ED ( M age=28.09) completed paper and pencil questionnaires of deviant eating patterns, body esteem, and personality pathology. First, a K-means cluster procedure revealed a compelling three-cluster solution among the nonclinical women based on deviant eating variables: «deviant eaters»( n=61), «restrainers» ( n=92), and «nondeviant eaters» ( n=103). The ED women were classified as Cluster 4; «clinical» ( n=76). Second, to evaluate our two-factor model, multinomial logistic regression (MLR) was used with cluster membership as the outcome variable and the following variables as predictors: body esteem, personality pathology, and all two-way interactions. In addition to several significant main effects, three interaction terms were marginally significant: Body esteem appearance×Narcissism ( P=.047), Body esteem weight×Narcissism ( P=.044), and Body esteem attribution×Stimulus seeking( P=.051). The overall extent of correct cluster classification was 63%. These results indicate that the presence of both low body esteem and maladaptive personality, and the interactive operation of these two factors, seems to contribute to the likelihood of having an eating disorder, beyond the independent contribution of either factor alone. Results are considered in the context of etiological models in which general psychopathology presents a vulnerability factor in ED development.

Predictors of eating disorder scores in children ages 6 through 14: A longitudinal study

The objective of this study was to identify variables that predict higher eating disorder scores in non-clinical boys and girls ages 6 through 14. Two hundred sixteen children participated and were tested annually for 3 years. A TV–video procedure was used to measure the accuracy of body size judgments. Variables examined included demographic, familial, sociocultural, social, esteem, and clinical variables. Predictors of higher eating disorder scores for both sexes included height and weight, children's perceptions of parental concerns about their body size, low body esteem, and depression. For girls only, a larger perceived body size and smaller idealized body size were also predictors. Teasing was a predictor for boys only. An analysis of longitudinal changes suggests that low body esteem becomes a significant factor around age 9, depression emerges as a predictor at age 10, and body size judgments in perceived and ideal sizes at ages 11 and 12. Changes over 2 years in individuals' weight and height, teasing, body dissatisfaction, and eating disorder scores were also found to predict higher eating disorder scores.

Relationship among body image, sex, and popularity of high school students.

Body dissatisfaction and attempts to lose weight are increasingly common among adolescents. Research has identified a number of factors significantly associated with body image, including sex, media, parental relationship, and puberty as well as weight and popularity. It was hypothesized that popular adolescents would have greater body dissatisfaction, more body distortion, and lower body esteem. From a rural high school 116 10th and 12th grade students were surveyed. Two teachers from the school also completed a Body Image Figure scale for each student. Subjects rated each grade member on a 5-point Likert-type scale, indicating how much they liked the classmate. A Social Preference rating (Popularity) was calculated for each subject from these ratings. Each subject also completed a Body Image Figure scale and Body Esteem scale. Body distortion was calculated by comparing the teachers' and a student's responses. Significant sex differences were found for scores on body satisfaction, distortion, and esteem, but none for popularity with distortion and body esteem. A relationship between popularity and body satisfaction was found, with the most popular adolescents reporting the least discrepancy between their ideal body image and their current body image. Popular adolescents are most satisfied with their body type.

The Experience of Sexual Harassment among Grade-School Students: Early Socialization of Female Subordination.

The purpose of this study was to investigate elementary school children's interpretation of sexual harassment incidents and the relationship of those interpretations to self-esteem and body esteem. Eleven scenarios were read to 73 third- to fifth-grade children. Eight scenarios exemplified peer harassment. The children were asked how they thought the victim felt, what the victim should do, why the perpetrator did this, and whether something similar had ever happened to them. They also completed gender role, self-esteem, and body esteem scales. Results indicated that the majority of the children had experienced peer harassment and that the boys and girls had experienced about equal amounts. However, total harassment was negatively related to self-esteem in girls, but not boys. Furthermore, the children's interpretations of the scenarios as well as the relationship of these interpretations to body and self-esteem indicated that the meaning of sexual harassment was different for the boys and girls. Girls were more likely to think the victim would be frightened and boys more likely to think that the victim would be flattered by the attention. Girls who reported that the victim would be frightened or that they did not know how the victim would react reported lower body esteem. These data are interpreted within the framework of sexual terrorism and sexual objectification theories. These data also underscore the need for additional research in sexual harassment among young children.

Family functioning and psychosocial adjustment in overweight youngsters.

To analyze the relationship between family functioning and psychosocial adjustment in Dutch overweight children and adolescents. Seventy-three overweight (weight-for-height >P90) and 70 normal-weight youngsters between the ages of 10 and 16 years were recruited by school physicians during routine medical screening. The Family Dimension Scale, the Child Behavior Checklist, the Teacher Report Form, the Self-Perceived Competence Scale, and the Body-Esteem Scale were filled out, as well as a specific weight-related questionnaire. Both parents and teachers report more behavior problems in overweight children, particularly in the younger than 13 age group. Lower body-esteem was found in older overweight girls, whereas in older overweight boys higher levels of body-esteem were found. More significant relationships were found with the weight-related Parental Concern Scale than with the Family Dimension Scale. The results suggest that a developmental psychological approach reveals important age and sex differences. Weight-related instruments may be more useful than general questionnaires.

Lesbians and the Internalization of Societal Standards of Weight and Appearance

ABSTRACT Findings from a study of body image, weight concern, and disordered eating in lesbians are presented. While lesbians were more critical of traditional social norms regarding the rights and roles of women in general than heterosexual controls, this difference disappeared in regard to norms concerning women's weight and appearance. Dieting was frequent, almost half of the participants were dissatisfied with their weight, and self-esteem was strongly influenced by body esteem. A large number of lesbians said that physical attractiveness was important in a partner. However, lesbians' conception of physical attractiveness had a more functional quality, related to physical condition, and less concern for conventional aspects related to “looks” than heterosexual women. Involvement in lesbian, but not feminist, activities was found to be a protective factor against low body esteem. These findings are discussed in terms of understanding lesbians' relationships to beauty norms, variations across subgroups, and risk for eating problems.

Perception of Body Esteem Following Stroke

Psychopathologic disturbances have been reported as a sequela of ischemic stroke. We have exammed various body esteem dimensions in 101 patients following a stroke. The patients were examined 6 months after the stroke. They were scored with the Barthel Index (BI) as the disability score, the Hamilton Depression Scale (HDS), and the Body Esteem Scale (BES). A significant lower body esteem (p < 0.0001) was found for both sexes and for all body esteem subscales in subjects suffering from a left corti cal lesion compared with other stroke locations. Physical attractiveness subscores among males were significantly lower in subjects with a right cortical lesion (p < 0.005). No correlation was found between time of disability and body esteem except on the upper body strength (V) subscale among males (p = 0.04). No correlation was found between the BI, size of lesion, or age and BES. These findings demonstrate that im pairment of body esteem following stroke is correlated with lesion location, not its size or associated disability score.

A Treatment for College Women at Risk for Bulimia: A Controlled Evaluation

Twenty‐nine college women evidencing low body esteem, repeated dieting efforts, and other dysfunctional eating behaviors or attitudes were randomly assigned to group treatment or control conditions. At posttest and follow‐up, participants who received the intervention reported significantly improved levels of self‐esteem and body satisfaction, as well as reductions in their reliance on potentially dangerous methods of weight management compared with controls. They also reported fewer fears of negative evaluation by others and endorsed fewer stereotypes about thinness and attractiveness. Finally, participants in the treatment condition showed significantly reduced levels of perfectionism at posttest, but this change was not maintained at follow‐up. Clinical implications and research recommendations are discussed.

Eating in the adult world: the rise of dieting in childhood and adolescence.

Dieting is a common practice among adolescent girls. Recent research suggests that adolescent dieting may not be benign and that it is becoming more frequent in younger age groups. The present study investigated dieting motivation and the underlying attitudes to body weight and shape in two age groups. Eighty-four nine-year-old and 86 14-year-old girls from the same school completed assessments of dietary restraint, body esteem, body satisfaction and body figure preferences. The girls' body weight and height were also measured. The distribution of restraint scores revealed individuals from both age groups in every category of dieting motivation. Subjects in the upper and lower quartiles of the restraint distribution were identified and compared on the other measures. The highly restrained girls expressed low body esteem and discontent with their body build, weight and certain regions of their bodies. Furthermore, their 'ideal' body shape was significantly slimmer than their perceived current body shape, and slimmer even than that of the non-dieters. This pattern held for both the nine- and 14-year-olds, of whom half of each age group were of average or below average weight index for their age. The appearance of these dispositions and behaviours by the age of nine, or possibly earlier, may result in a marked increase in future clinical eating problems and disorders.

Body image and sex-role stereotype as features of addiction in women.

Research with women addicted to alcohol or to opiates shows low body esteem and a negative view of the female role to be characteristics of this group. The present study examines the relation between body and role attitudes. When measures of each were compared with a control group of nonaddicted women, the addicted group was shown to hold significantly more negative attitudes, although socioeconomic status proved to be a confounding factor. The hypothesis that drug-taking behavior may be more likely when a woman perceives both her body and her sex role negatively was supported. Because a difference was found between the groups in the use of fantasy, it was speculated that treatment measures for addicted women might be more effective if this difference were considered.