title: Weight acceptance versus body dissatisfaction: Effects on stigma, perceived self-esteem, and perceived psychopathology.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  It is unknown whether weight acceptance or body dissatisfaction impact anti-fat stigma. Therefore, this study utilized a 2×2 between-subject experimental design to examine of the relationship between body acceptance and stigmatization.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were university undergraduates (N=394, 70% women, mean age=20.8 years, mean BMI=23.61 kg/m(2)) who were randomly assigned to read vignettes describing an obese or normal-weight target described as either accepting or not accepting of her weight. Participants completed measures of stigma (the Fat Phobia Scale (FPS), the modified Anti-fat Attitudes Scale (AFA)), perceived self-esteem (assessed with the modified Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSE)), and perceived psychopathology.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Analyses revealed significant main effects for acceptance. Notably, targets who accepted their weight were less stigmatized on the FPS (F(1, 354)=66.82, p<.001) and the AFA willpower subscale (F(1, 373)=37.90, p<.001), and they were perceived as having better self esteem (F(1, 371)=166.16, p<.001) and fewer psychological problems (F(1, 381)=123.19, p<.001) than those who did not accept their weight.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results from this study suggest that size acceptance, even when practiced by obese targets, was significantly less stigmatized than body dissatisfaction and associated with better perceived self esteem and mental health.
authors.affiliation: University of Hawaii at Manoa, Department of Psychology, 2530 Dole Street, Sakamaki C400, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA. Electronic address: jmmuraka@hawaii.edu.
authors.forename: Jessica M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Murakami
authors.affiliation: University of Hawaii at Manoa, Department of Psychology, 2530 Dole Street, Sakamaki C400, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA. Electronic address: jlatner@hawaii.edu.
authors.forename: Janet D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Latner
mesh_terms: D001828:Body Image / Q000523:psychology*; D001835:Body Weight; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000523:psychology; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011599:Psychopathology; D012649:Self Concept; D012938:Social Perception; D013240:Stereotyping; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Body dissatisfaction; Stigma; Weight acceptance; Weight bias