Appearance-focused media use as a moderator of the relationship between fear of fat and weight bias: an exploratory study

• DOI: 10.1007/s40519-019-00666-z
• Publication Date: 2019-03-11T10:36:09Z
• Authors: Brooke L. Bennett; Allison F. Wagner; Katrina T. Obleada; Janet D. Latner
• Keywords: Moderation; Weight stigma; Exploratory research; Association (psychology)

Previous research has found that fear of fat, or the fear of gaining weight, is fairly common within both normative and clinical populations. Similarly, weight bias, or biased attitudes directed at obese individuals, has been found across multiple segments of society. A common link shared between fear of fat and weight bias is the inherent emphasis on anti-fat feelings. Previous research has demonstrated an anti-fat bias within media content. Therefore, the purpose of the current research is to examine exposure to appearance-focused media as a moderator of the relationship between fear of fat and weight bias.One hundred and eighty-seven female participants (Mage = 21.05, MBMI = 22.60) were administered a battery of assessments, including the Goldfarb Fear of Fat Scale and the Universal Measure of Bias of Fat Scale. Participants were also asked to report their frequency of exposure to appearance-focused media (TV and magazines).Results of this study suggest that appearance-focused media partially moderated the relationship between fear of fat and weight bias.This suggests the messages portrayed by the media may be strengthening the relationship between fear of gaining weight and discrimination directed at obese individuals. Understanding this relationship has important implications for reducing weight stigma.Level V, cross-sectional descriptive study.