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Identifying as fat: Examining weight discrimination and the rejection-identification model.
- Source :
-
Body image [Body Image] 2022 Jun; Vol. 41, pp. 46-51. Date of Electronic Publication: 2022 Feb 24. - Publication Year :
- 2022
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Abstract
- Discrimination towards fat individuals is pervasive in the United States, and perceptions of weight discrimination are associated with poor physical and mental health outcomes (e.g., low well-being). The rejection-identification model theorizes that perceptions of group-based discrimination may lead people to identify with their stigmatized group, subsequently helping them maintain well-being. We applied the rejection-identification model to weight discrimination to understand whether positively identifying as fat may mediate the impact of perceived weight-group discrimination on well-being. Across two samples (N = 739), fat-group identification, ingroup affiliation, and body affirmation were tested as mediators of the association between perceived weight discrimination and well-being. We also examined support for weight-related social change. Results showed that fat identification was a significant mediator, associated positively with discrimination but negatively with well-being; fat identification also was positively associated with greater support for weight-related social change. Body affirmation was a significant mediator of well-being and support for weight-related social change. Identifying as fat does not seem to provide the same benefits to well-being observed for other social identities (e.g., ethnicity); perceiving one's own body positively, however, may be a potential pathway through which weight discrimination's consequences can be reduced. Implications for well-being, identity, and the rejection-identification model are discussed.<br />Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interests The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.<br /> (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)
- Subjects :
- Ethnicity
Humans
United States
Body Image psychology
Social Identification
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1873-6807
- Volume :
- 41
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Body image
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 35220025
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2022.02.008