title: Self-Compassion as a Resource in the Self-Stigma Process of Overweight and Obese Individuals.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Self-stigma in overweight and obese individuals has strong associations with impairment in mental and global health. This study sought to explore self-compassion as a psychological resource in the self-stigma process.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a 2012 representative German population survey of N = 1,158 overweight and obese individuals, self-compassion was examined as a mediator between self-stigma and mental and physical health outcomes, including BMI (kg/m2), using structural equation modeling and controlling for sociodemographic factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Psychological variables were assessed using validated self-report questionnaires. Self-compassion partially mediated the relationships between self-stigma and depression, somatic symptoms, and health status/quality of life, lowering the predictive effect of self-stigma on the outcomes by approximately one-third. In contrast, self-compassion, because it was unrelated to BMI, did not mediate the association between self-stigma and BMI.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Self-compassion has the potential to act as a buffer against the mental and global health detriments of self-stigma in overweight and obesity and could thus represent a target for interventions to reduce self-stigma and prevent these health impairments. In order to influence the association between self-stigma and BMI, self-compassion should conceptually be linked to weight management.
authors.affiliation: Integrated Research and Treatment Center Adiposity Diseases, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Anja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hilbert
authors.forename: Elmar
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Braehler
authors.forename: Ricarda
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: Bernd
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Löwe
authors.forename: Winfried
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Häuser
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zenger
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003863:Depression; D004645:Empathy; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000523:psychology*; D050177:Overweight / Q000523:psychology; D011788:Quality of Life; D012649:Self Concept; D057566:Self Report; D013240:Stereotyping; D055815:Young Adult