title: Adult and childhood weight influence body image and depression through weight stigmatization.
abstract: The goal of this study was to examine lifetime weight stigmatization as a mediator of the relationships among current body mass index, childhood overweight, depression, and body dissatisfaction. Participants were 299 female undergraduates (mean age = 20.52, standard deviation = 2.57; mean body mass index = 23.29, standard deviation = 4.51). Weight stigmatization significantly mediated the relationships between body mass index and body dissatisfaction, body mass index and depressive symptoms, and childhood overweight and depressive symptoms. The model accounted for 44.7 percent of the variance in depressive symptoms and 28.2 percent of the variance in body image dissatisfaction. Findings indicated that a decrease in weight stigmatization may predict better mental health.
authors.affiliation: 1 Loma Linda University, USA.
authors.forename: Serena D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Stevens
authors.affiliation: 1 Loma Linda University, USA.
authors.forename: Sylvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Herbozo
authors.affiliation: 1 Loma Linda University, USA.
authors.forename: Holly Er
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Morrell
authors.affiliation: 2 University of South Florida, USA.
authors.forename: Lauren M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Schaefer
authors.affiliation: 2 University of South Florida, USA.
authors.forename: J Kevin
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Thompson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001828:Body Image / Q000523:psychology*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D050177:Overweight / Q000523:psychology*; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000523:psychology*; D057545:Social Stigma; D013851:Thinness / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: body image; childhood overweight; depression; obesity; weight stigma