Good intentions gone awry? Effects of weight-related social control on health and well-being

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-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 languageEnglish
JournalBody Image
Volume11
Issue number1
Pages (from-to)1-10
Number of pages10
ISSN1740-1445
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jan 2014
Externally publishedYes

    Research areas

  • Body image, Diet, Exercise, Gender differences, Self-esteem, Social control, Weight stigma

ID: 347750889