Good intentions gone awry? Effects of weight-related social control on health and well-being.
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.
Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA. Electronic address: jabrunson@uh.edu.
Julie A
JA
Brunson
Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA.
Camilla S
CS
Overup
Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA.
Mai-Ly
ML
Nguyen
Department of Psychology, Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY 11549, USA.
Sarah A
SA
Novak
Department of Psychology, University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677, USA.
C Veronica
CV
Smith
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological / Q000502:physiology*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001828:Body Image / Q000523:psychology*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D004032:Diet / Q000523:psychology; D015444:Exercise / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D033182:Intention; D008297:Male; D050177:Overweight / Q000523:psychology*; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D012649:Self Concept; D012737:Sex Factors; D057545:Social Stigma; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult
Body image; Diet; Exercise; Gender differences; Self-esteem; Social control; Weight stigma