Kathleen M. Young

Implicit, explicit, and internalized weight bias and psychosocial maladjustment among treatment-seeking adults

OBJECTIVE Weight bias among weight loss treatment-seeking adults has been understudied. This investigation examined the 1) levels of implicit, explicit, and internalized weight bias among overweight/obese treatment-seeking adults, 2) association between weight bias and psychosocial maladjustment (binge eating, body image, depression), and 3) association between participation in weight loss treatment and changes in weight bias. METHODS Fifty-four overweight and obese individuals (BMI > or = 27) recruited for a weight loss intervention completed measures of depression, body image, binge eating, and implicit, explicit, and internalized weight bias. RESULTS Participants evidenced significant implicit, explicit, and internalized weight bias. Greater weight bias was associated with greater depression, poorer body image, and increased binge eating. Despite significant reductions in negative internalized and explicit weight bias following treatment, weight bias remained strong. CONCLUSIONS Weight bias among treatment-seeking adults is associated with greater psychological maladjustment and may interfere with their ability to achieve optimal health and well-being.

The relationship between parents' anti-fat attitudes and restrictive feeding

Objective: Anti‐fat prejudice is a common attitude in our society, and it has implications for those who hold and are targets of this prejudice. Little is known, however, about how parents’ anti‐fat attitudes impact the ways they feed their young children. We hypothesized that parents’ attitudes about weight would predict parents’ restrictive feeding practices above and beyond the effects of the childs actual weight and the parents’ concern about child overweight.

Can following the caloric restriction recommendations from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans help individuals lose weight

BACKGROUND The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend creating an energy deficit of at least 500 kcal a day to facilitate weight loss. This investigation examined the relationship between creating a consistent, self-reported energy deficit of at least 500 kcal a day and weight loss. The relationship between self-monitoring adherence and daily energy intake and expenditure and weight loss was also examined. METHODS Fifty-four overweight or obese adults (BMI>or=27 kg/m(2)) participating in a 14-week weight loss program were given a 5% total body weight loss goal and instructed to create an energy deficit of at least 500 kcal a day to facilitate weight loss. Participants provided daily records of total energy intake and expenditure, physical activity, and weekly and overall weight loss during treatment. RESULTS Individuals who averaged an energy deficit in excess of 500 kcal per day lost nearly four times the weight as individuals whose average energy deficit was below 500 kcal per day (p<.01). Individuals who lost 5% of their body weight during the intervention self-monitored more than twice as many days than individuals who failed to lose 5% of their body weight (p<.01). CONCLUSION Individuals interested in losing weight should continue to be advised to regularly self-monitor energy intake and expenditure as well as to create a consistent daily energy deficit (e.g., 500 kcal day).

Internalized weight stigma and its ideological correlates among weight loss treatment seeking adults

There are significant economic and psychological costs associated with the negative weight-based social stigma that exists in American society. This pervasive anti-fat bias has been strongly internalized among the overweight/obese. While the etiology of weight stigma is complex, research suggests that it is often greater among individuals who embrace certain etiological views of obesity or ideological views of the world. This investigation examined 1) the level of internalized weight stigma among overweight/obese treatment seeking adults, and 2) the association between internalized weight stigma and perceived weight controllability and ideological beliefs about the world (‘just world beliefs’, Protestant work ethic). Forty-six overweight or obese adults (BMI ≽27 kg/m2) participating in an 18- week behavioral weight loss program completed implicit (Implicit Associations Test) and explicit (Obese Person’s Trait Survey) measures of weight stigma. Participants also completed two measures of ideological beliefs about the world (“Just World Beliefs”, Protestant Ethic Scale) and one measure of beliefs about weight controllability (Beliefs about Obese Persons). Significant implicit and explicit weight bias was observed. Greater weight stigma was consistently associated with greater endorsement of just world beliefs, Protestant ethic beliefs and beliefs about weight controllability. Results suggest that the overweight/obese treatment seeking adults have internalized the negative weight-based social stigma that exists in American society. Internalized weight stigma may be greater among those holding specific etiological and ideological beliefs about weight and the world.

Transforming your life: an environmental modification approach to weight loss.

This investigation compared a traditional behavioral weight loss program with a weight loss intervention emphasizing environmental modification and habit formation and disruption. Fifty-four overweight and obese adults (BMI ≥ 27 kg/m2) were randomly assigned to either a 14-week LEARN or TYL intervention. Forty-two participants completed the six-month follow-up assessment. Treatment outcomes between LEARN and TYL participants were equivalent. During the six-month no-treatment follow-up period, participants evidenced a 3.3 lb (SD = 9.2) weight gain. The TYL intervention appears to represent an attractive option for individuals seeking an alternative to the traditional behavioral approach to weight loss.

Children’s Sensitivity to External Food Cues: How Distance to Serving Bowl Influences Children’s Consumption

Overweight is increasing in children, leading to negative health consequences. Children also lack appropriate levels of important vitamins and nutrients in their diets. Environmental cues, such as food proximity, have been shown to influence consumption rates in adults. The present study has tested whether proximity to either a nutrient-dense or caloric-dense food would influence children’s snack consumption in a day care setting. Children (N = 46, age range 3.4-11) consumed more of both nutrient- and energy-dense foods when they are sitting closer to the food than if they are sitting farther away from the food, above and beyond the effects of age. The data indicate that it may be possible to increase the consumption of nutrient-dense foods or decrease the consumption of energy-dense foods, respectively, by modifying the proximity of such foods within a child’s environment.

The Failure of Therapist Assistance and Stepped‐care to Improve Weight Loss Outcomes

Objective: This investigation was designed to examine whether: (i) individuals could successfully lose 5% of their body weight with minimal assistance, (ii) weight loss would be improved by the addition of therapist assistance, and (iii) individuals unsuccessful at losing 5% total body weight during the minimal assistance phase (with or without therapist assistance) would benefit from a weekly weight loss group.

Skipping meals and alcohol consumption. The regulation of energy intake and expenditure among weight loss participants.

Research suggests that specific eating patterns (e.g., eating breakfast) may be related to favorable weight status. This investigation examined the relationship between eating patterns (i.e., skipping meals; consuming alcohol) and weight loss treatment outcomes (weight loss, energy intake, energy expenditure, and duration of exercise). Fifty-four overweight or obese adults (BMI> or =27 kg/m(2)) participated in a self-help or therapist-assisted weight loss program. Daily energy intake from breakfast, lunch, dinner, and alcoholic beverages, total daily energy intake, total daily energy expenditure, physical activity, and weekly weight loss were assessed. On days that breakfast or dinner was skipped, or alcoholic beverages were not consumed, less total daily energy was consumed compared to days that breakfast, dinner, or alcoholic beverages were consumed. On days that breakfast or alcohol was consumed, daily energy expenditure (breakfast only) and duration of exercise were higher compared to days that breakfast or alcohol was not consumed. Individuals who skipped dinner or lunch more often had lower energy expenditure and exercise duration than individuals who skipped dinner or lunch less often. Individuals who consumed alcohol more often had high daily energy expenditure than individuals who consumed alcohol less often. Skipping meals or consuming alcoholic beverages was not associated with weekly weight loss. In this investigation, weight loss program participants may have compensated for excess energy intake from alcoholic beverages and meals with greater daily energy expenditure and longer exercise duration.

Emerald dragon bites vs veggie beans: Fun food names increase children’s consumption of novel healthy foods

Caregivers often struggle with food neophobia on the part of young children. This study examined whether labeling novel healthy foods with fun names would increase children’s willingness to try those foods and encourage them to eat more of those foods in a child care setting. Thirty-nine toddler and preschool age children (mean age = 3.9 years) were served each of three foods twice, once labeled with a fun name and once with a healthy name. Percentage of the food consumed by each child was recorded. Overall, children ate a greater percentage of the target foods when they were labeled with fun names. Also, a larger percentage of the children tasted the foods when they were labeled with fun names. This simple strategy could be effective for increasing consumption of healthy foods among young children.

The self-protective nature of implicit identity and its relationship to weight bias and short-term weight loss.

Background/Aims: Research suggests that making overly positive self-evaluations is the norm rather than the exception. However, unlike other stigmatized groups, overweight individuals do not exhibit a positive in-group social identity and instead exhibit significant explicit, implicit, and internalized weight bias. Therefore, it is not known whether overweight/obese individuals will evidence self-enhancement on general traits (good, attractive), or on traits inconsistent with fat stereotypes (disciplined, active, healthy eater), on an assessment of implicit attitudes. Similarly, it is not known whether these ratings will be associated with preexisting levels of weight bias, gender, or short-term weight loss. Methods: At baseline, 53 overweight/obese adults (BMI > 27 kg/m2, mean BMI = 37.3 kg/m2, SD = 6.6 kg/m2, 89% Caucasian, and 77% female) participating in a weight loss intervention completed measures of explicit and internalized weight bias as well as implicit weight bias and identity (self-other comparisons). Results: Although participants evidenced significant anti-fat attitudes, they implicitly identified themselves as significantly thinner, better, more attractive, active, disciplined, and more likely to eat healthy than ‘other’ people. Compared to men, women were less likely to view themselves as thin and attractive relative to others. Greater implicit anti-fat bias and implicitly seeing the self as thin relative to others was associated with less short-term weight loss. Conclusion: Despite evidence for explicit, implicit, and internalized weight bias, participants generally evidenced a positive implicit self-identity, including areas consistent with negative fat stereotypes.