title: Implicit and explicit attitudes toward high-fat foods in obesity.
abstract: This study examined implicit and explicit attitudes toward high-fat foods in obese (n = 30) and normal-weight controls (n = 31). The Implicit Association Test (A. G. Greenwald, D. E. McGee, & J. L. K. Schwartz, 1998) was used to measure the differential association of the 2 target categories--high-fat vs. low-fat food words--with an attribute dimension (positive vs. negative). Results suggest that obese people are characterized by a significantly stronger implicit negative attitude toward high-fat foods than are normal-weight controls. This implicit negative attitude is contradictory to their preferences and behavior: Several studies indicate that obese people prefer and consume high-fat foods. Apparently, obese people like the taste of high-fat foods but not the fat content itself, not only on the explicit but also on the implicit level.
authors.affiliation: a.roefs@psychology.unimaas.nl
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Roefs
authors.forename: Anita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jansen
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001290:Attitude; D004041:Dietary Fats; D005260:Female; D005518:Food Preferences / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000523:psychology*; D011930:Reaction Time; D014936:Word Association Tests
chemical_list: D004041:Dietary Fats