Good intentions gone awry? Effects of weight-related social control on health and well-being
Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
A negative body image has been associated with a variety of negative health and well-being outcomes. Social pressures from others, in the form of weight-related social control, may serve to exacerbate this effect, especially for college-aged women. Undergraduate students (N= 399) completed a variety of questionnaires assessing weight-related social control, well-being, and diet and exercise behaviors. The results suggest that weight is associated with a variety of negative health and well-being outcomes and particularly for women, weight-related social control is also associated with these negative effects. In addition, men of higher body mass indexes (BMIs) or higher self-perceived weight did not experience negative health and well-being outcomes to the same degree that overweight women did. Parents in particular seem to instigate weight-related social control to change students' diet and exercise behaviors. These results help clarify the effects of weight-related social control in a college population, where weight may be especially important.
Original language | English |
---|---|
Journal | Body Image |
Volume | 11 |
Issue number | 1 |
Pages (from-to) | 1-10 |
Number of pages | 10 |
ISSN | 1740-1445 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Jan 2014 |
Externally published | Yes |
- Body image, Diet, Exercise, Gender differences, Self-esteem, Social control, Weight stigma
Research areas
ID: 347750889