title: Beyond personal responsibility: effects of causal attributions for overweight and obesity on weight-related beliefs, stigma, and policy support.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this research was to compare the effects of different causal attributions for overweight and obesity, among individuals with overweight and obesity, on weight-related beliefs, stigmatising attitudes and policy support.
  
  
  METHODS
  In Study 1, an online sample of 95 US adults rated the extent to which they believed various factors caused their own weight status. In Study 2, 125 US adults read one of three randomly assigned online passages attributing obesity to personal responsibility, biology, or the 'food environment.' All participants in both studies were overweight or obese.
  
  
  METHODS
  All participants reported beliefs about weight loss, weight-stigmatising attitudes, and support for obesity-related policies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In Study 1, biological attributions were associated with low weight-malleability beliefs and blame, high policy support, but high internalised weight bias. 'Food environment' attributions were not associated with any outcomes, while 'personal responsibility' attributions were associated with high prejudice and blame. In Study 2, participants who received information about the food environment reported greater support for food-related policies and greater self-efficacy to lose weight.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Emphasising the role of the food environment in causing obesity may promote food policy support and health behaviours without imposing the negative consequences associated with other attributions.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychology , Yale University , New Haven , CT , USA.
authors.forename: Rebecca L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Pearl
authors.forename: Matthew S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Lebowitz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D050177:Overweight / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D013240:Stereotyping; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: causal attributions; food policy; obesity; weight beliefs; weight stigma