scholarly journals “I Feel Like Less of a Mom”: Experiences of Weight Stigma by Association among Mothers of Children with Overweight and Obesity

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenna C. Gorlick ◽  
Claire V. Gorman ◽  
Heidi M. Weeks ◽  
Arielle T. Pearlman ◽  
Natasha A. Schvey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Weight Stigma ◽  
Overweight And Obesity ◽  
Stigma By Association

scholarly journals “I feel like less of a mom.” Experiences of Weight Stigma by Association among Mothers of Children with Overweight and Obesity

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenna Gorlick ◽  
Claire Gorman ◽  
Heidi M. Weeks ◽  
Arielle Pearlman ◽  
Natasha Schvey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Method ◽  
Weight Stigma ◽  
Overweight And Obesity ◽  
Common Source ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Parent Child Relationship ◽  
Stigma By Association ◽  
Negative Comments ◽  
Hurt Feelings ◽  
Almost All

Background: Parents of children with high weight are often the target of blame and shaming. However, this form of stigma, termed weight stigma by association, is poorly understood.Objective: To investigate the sources, forms, and impacts of weight stigma by association among mothers of children with overweight or obesity. Methods: Mothers of 5 to 16-year-old children (N=34; 54% non-Hispanic White) participated in semi-structured interviews. A coding scheme was developed using the constant comparative method and reliably applied to interview transcripts. Mothers’ self-reported sociodemographic information, and height and weight were measured.Results: Family members were a common source of negative comments to parents about children’s weight; these comments were often critical of mothers’ parenting and caused hurt feelings and family estrangement. Many mothers also reported negative feelings about their children’s physicians due to interactions about their children’s weight. Almost all mothers expressed guilt and sadness for not parenting differently; many internalized beliefs that they were bad parents because of their children’s weight. Conclusion: Mothers of children with overweight and obesity are frequently the target of weight stigma by association. Additional research is needed to elucidate the impacts of this form of stigma on parents’ health, the parent/child relationship, and children’s health.

scholarly journals Characterizing Lifetime and Daily Experiences of Weight Stigma among Sexual Minority Women with Overweight and Obesity: A Descriptive Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (13) ◽  
pp. 4892 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily Panza ◽  
KayLoni Olson ◽  
Carly M. Goldstein ◽  
Edward A. Selby ◽  
Jason Lillis
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Minority ◽  
Daily Life ◽  
Secondary Analysis ◽  
Weight Stigma ◽  
Overweight And Obesity ◽  
Minority Women ◽  
Sexual Minority Women ◽  
Perceived Weight ◽  
Perceived Experiences ◽  
Ecological Momentary

Sexual minority women are disproportionately impacted by obesity yet are underrepresented in weight stigma research. This Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) study is a secondary analysis that aimed to elucidate the frequency and contextual characteristics of perceived experiences of lifetime and momentary weight stigma among sexual minority women with overweight/obesity. Participants were 55 sexual minority women ages 18–60 with a body mass index ≥25 kg/m2. Perceived lifetime weight stigma events were assessed at baseline. For the subsequent five days, participants used a smartphone to complete five daily, random EMA prompts assessing the frequency/characteristics of perceived weight stigma events in daily life. All participants reported at least one lifetime weight stigma event. During the EMA period, participants reported 44 momentary weight stigma events (M = 0.80), with 24% of participants reporting at least one event. During most instances of weight stigma, women perceived the stigma’s cause to be their weight and another minority identity (e.g., sexual orientation). Findings showing high rates of perceived lifetime weight stigma in this sample and frequent co-occurrence of perceived weight stigma with stigma due to other marginalized identities in daily life underscore the need for future, larger studies investigating weight stigma through an intersectional lens in sexual minority women with overweight/obesity.

Unburdening the Weight of Stigma: Findings From a Compassion-Focused Group Program for Women With Overweight and Obesity

2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 336-357
Author(s):  
Yvette N. Forbes ◽  
Robyn L. Moffitt ◽  
Marieke Van Bokkel ◽  
Caroline L. Donovan
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Body Dissatisfaction ◽  
Weight Stigma ◽  
Overweight And Obesity ◽  
Post Treatment ◽  
Group Program ◽  
Self Compassion ◽  
Pre Treatment

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to develop a 2-day intensive-format, Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT) based group program targeting weight stigma in women with overweight and obesity, and to conduct a pilot study to determine the feasibility and acceptability of the intervention.MethodParticipants were 15 females aged 18–62 years (mean [M] = 43.60, standard deviation [SD] = 12.38), who participated in the program and completed measures of self-compassion, internalized weight stigma, psychological distress, life-satisfaction, loneliness, eating self-efficacy, body dissatisfaction, and body shame, at pre-treatment, post-treatment, and 3-month follow-up.ResultsSignificant improvements were found from pre-treatment to post-treatment for self-compassion and internalized weight stigma, with gains maintained at 3-month follow-up. Significant improvements were also found on measures of psychological distress, life satisfaction, loneliness, eating self-efficacy, and body dissatisfaction at the post-treatment assessment. Credibility ratings of the program were high.ConclusionsThis study has contributed to existing stigma research, being the first proof-of-concept study to demonstrate support for an intensive, CFT based group approach targeting the effects of weight stigma for women with overweight and obesity. The findings are discussed in terms of the potential of CFT to assist women develop resilience to the harmful effects of weight stigma, and possible future research directions to further develop and evaluate this approach.

scholarly journals Weight Stigmatization and Binge Eating in Asian Americans with Overweight and Obesity

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (12) ◽  
pp. 4319 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ya-Ke Wu ◽  
Diane C. Berry ◽  
Todd A. Schwartz
Keyword(s):  
Binge Eating ◽  
Asian Americans ◽  
Asian American ◽  
Demographic Data ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Weight Stigma ◽  
Overweight And Obesity ◽  
Significant Independent Predictor ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Level Of Acculturation

Weight stigma and binge eating have been found to be associated in Western populations; however, this relationship is understudied among Asian Americans. The aims of the study were to (1) investigate the prevalence of binge eating and its relationship with experienced weight stigma in higher-weight Asian Americans, and (2) examine whether the level of acculturation moderates this relationship. Data were collected from a cross-sectional study with 166 higher-weight Asian American adults living in North Carolina, United States. Demographic data, the frequency of experiencing weight stigma, the severity of binge eating, the levels of acculturation, the perceived racism against Asians, and perceived stress were assessed via self-reported questionnaires. The results indicated that experienced weight stigma was a significant independent predictor over and above the effects of other stressors, such as racism and general stress. The level of acculturation did not influence the relationship between the experienced weight stigma and binge eating after adjusting for relevant covariates. Our findings contribute to the limited literature examining weight stigma and binge eating among Asian American populations, highlighting that higher levels of experienced weight stigma are associated with a greater degree of binge eating.

scholarly journals Weight stigma and acculturation in relation to hair cortisol among Asian Americans with overweight and obesity: A cross-sectional study

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 205510291982927 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ya-Ke Wu ◽  
Diane C Berry ◽  
Todd A Schwartz
Keyword(s):  
Asian Americans ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Weight Stigma ◽  
Overweight And Obesity ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Significant Relationships ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Level Of Acculturation ◽  
Overweight Or Obesity

Weight stigma is a pervasive problem for Americans, but little is known about its impact on the health of Asian Americans. Authors examined the relationship between weight stigma and cortisol and whether acculturation moderated this relationship. Asian Americans ( n = 166) with overweight or obesity completed questionnaires and provided a 50-mg hair sample to assay cortisol. Results revealed a negative correlation between weight stigma and cortisol. However, this was no longer significant after controlling of relevant covariates. The level of acculturation did not significantly moderate this relationship. The non-significant relationships among weight stigma, cortisol, and acculturation are discussed along with future directions.

scholarly journals The experience of weight stigma among gym members with overweight and obesity.

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 292-306 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natasha A. Schvey ◽  
Tracy Sbrocco ◽  
Jennifer L. Bakalar ◽  
Rachel Ress ◽  
Marissa Barmine ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Weight Stigma ◽  
Overweight And Obesity

scholarly journals Weight stigma among active duty U.S. military personnel with overweight and obesity.

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 281-291 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natasha A. Schvey ◽  
Marissa Barmine ◽  
Dawn Bates ◽  
Kendra Oldham ◽  
Jennifer L. Bakalar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Military Personnel ◽  
Active Duty ◽  
Weight Stigma ◽  
Overweight And Obesity

scholarly journals Physical Therapists' Ways of Talking About Overweight and Obesity: Clinical Implications

2016 ◽  
Vol 96 (6) ◽  
pp. 865-875 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenny Setchell ◽  
Bernadette M. Watson ◽  
Micheal Gard ◽  
Liz Jones
Keyword(s):  
Physical Therapy ◽  
Qualitative Methodology ◽  
Physical Therapists ◽  
Weight Stigma ◽  
Overweight And Obesity ◽  
Clinical Implications ◽  
Negative Attitudes ◽  
Data Collection And Analysis ◽  
Ways Of Thinking ◽  
Insight Into

Background How people think and talk about weight is important because it can influence their behavior toward people who are overweight. One study has shown that physical therapists have negative attitudes toward people who are overweight. However, how this finding translates into clinical practice is not well understood. Investigating physical therapists' ways of thinking and speaking about overweight and obesity in the context of their work can provide insight into this underresearched area. Objectives The purpose of this study was to investigate physical therapists' ways of talking about overweight individuals and discuss clinical implications. Design An interpretive qualitative design was used. Methods The research team used discourse analysis, a type of inductive qualitative methodology, to guide data collection and analysis. The data came from 6 focus groups of 4 to 6 physical therapists in Queensland, Australia, who discussed weight in a physical therapy environment. Participants (N=27) represented a variety of physical therapy subdisciplines. Results Data analysis identified 4 main weight discourses (ways of thinking and speaking about weight). Participants described patients who are overweight as little affected by stigma and difficult to treat. Furthermore, participants portrayed weight as having simple causes and being important in physical therapy. Alternate weight discourses were less frequent in these data. Conclusions The results indicated that some physical therapists' understandings of weight might lead to negative interactions with patients who are overweight. The findings suggest physical therapists require more nuanced understandings of: how patients who are overweight might feel in a physical therapy setting, the complexity of causes of weight, and possible benefits and disadvantages of introducing weight-management discussions with patients. Therefore, education should encourage complex understandings of working with patients of all sizes, including knowledge of weight stigma.

scholarly journals Weight Stigma by Association Among Parents of Children with Obesity: A Randomized Trial

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristen M. Lee ◽  
Lauren Arriola-Sanchez ◽  
Julie C. Lumeng ◽  
Ashley Gearhardt ◽  
A. Janet Tomiyama
Keyword(s):  
Randomized Trial ◽  
Weight Stigma ◽  
Stigma By Association
Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document