Weight Location Moderates Weight-Based Self-Devaluation and Perceived Social Devaluation in Women

Overweight and obese (“heavyweight”) people devalue themselves because, it has been proposed, they are socially devalued. However, for women, social valuation depends not only on how much weight they carry but also on where on their bodies they carry it. Here, we investigated whether weight-based self-valuation and perceived social valuation similarly depend on body shape. Study 1, using a nationally representative sample from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES; N = 1,093 reproductive-aged women), showed that, controlling for body fat, weight labeling (by self and others) and wanting to lose weight depended on body shape. Study 2, in a direct test of predictions using an undergraduate sample of women ( N = 215), showed that with increased body fat, women with an abdominal weight distribution reported more self-devaluation (e.g., lower self-esteem) and perceived social devaluation (e.g., higher perceived weight discrimination); women with a gluteofemoral weight distribution, however, were shielded—partially or fully—from these adverse effects of increased body fat.

Considerations in Adolescent Use of the Etonogestrel Subdermal Implant: A Cohort Study

Objectives: To describe bleeding patterns and other side effects in adolescent implant users and characterize their impact on early discontinuation of the implant.Study Design: This is a retrospective cohort study of female patients under 18 years who had an implant placed from 2013 to 2018. Data were collected on demographics, medical history, and side effects.Results: Of 212 adolescents, the average age at insertion was 16 years and 84% desired placement for contraception. Common side effects included AUB (80%), mood changes (10%), and perceived weight gain (9%). Most (76%) used the implant for at least 12 months. Average time to removal was 22.1 months (SD 13.0 months) and this did not depend on presence of side effects. Twenty-seven percent of teens were able to achieve amenorrhea. Adolescents with frequent or prolonged bleeding were more likely to have implant removal prior to 12 months than those with other bleeding patterns (p = 0.003). Early removal was also more common in girls reporting weight or mood issues than those who did not (p < 0.001 and p = 0.045, respectively). BMI increased in 64% of adolescents. Average percentage change in BMI was 3.2% (0.87 kg/m2). There was no difference in baseline use of any mood-modulating medications in patients who did and did not complain of mood side effects following implant placement (p = 0.801).Conclusion: Characterization of bleeding patterns following implant placement in adolescents have not previously been reported. Prolonged or heavy bleeding, mood issues, and perceived weight gain were associated with earlier removal of the implant. A relatively small number had early removal of the implant due to weight or mood complaints. Therefore, a history of obesity, depression, or other mood disorders should not be a deterrent to implant placement.

Perceived weight gain and eating disorder symptoms among LGBTQ+ adults during the COVID-19 pandemic: a convergent mixed-method study

Background In this study, we further explore the role of COVID-19 pandemic-related stress, social support, and resilience on self-reported eating disorder symptoms (using the EDE-QS) and perceived weight gain among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and/or queer (LGBTQ+ adults) in the US context during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods Employing a convergent mixed method design, we surveyed 411 individuals, and conducted qualitative semi-structured follow-up interviews with 43 LGBTQ+ -identifying survey respondents. Using OLS regression and multinomial logistic regression, we modeled eating disorder symptoms and perceived weight gain among LGBTQ+ individuals (n = 120) and cisgender and heterosexual-identifying women (n = 230), to cisgender and heterosexual-identifying men (n = 61). We also explored complementary interview narratives among LGBTQ+ people by employing selective coding strategies. Results Study results suggest that LGBTQ+ individuals are likely experiencing uniquely high levels of pandemic-related stress, and secondly, that pandemic-related stress is associated with elevated eating disorder symptoms and higher risk of perceived weight gain. Nearly 1 in 3 participants reported eating disorder symptoms of potentially clinical significance. Social support, but not resilient coping, was found to be protective against increased eating disorder symptoms. Qualitative analyses revealed that LGBTQ+ individuals situated physical exercise constraints, challenging eating patterns, and weight concerns within their pandemic experiences. Conclusions Clinicians of diverse specialties should screen for eating disorder symptoms and actively engage patients in conversations about their COVID-19-related weight gain and eating behaviors, particularly with LGBTQ+ -identifying adults.

A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of the Outcome Expectancy Construct in Physical Activity Research

Background Cognition-based theories dominate physical activity (PA) research, and many include a construct broadly defined as “beliefs about the consequences of behavior” (e.g., outcome expectancies, perceived benefits) hereafter referred to as perceived consequences. Purpose With the quantity of available research on this topic, it is important to examine whether the literature supports perceived consequences as a predictor of PA. Methods A meta-analysis examining longitudinal associations between perceived consequences and PA in adults was conducted. Studies were eligible if (a) perceived consequences were measured at a time point prior to PA, and (b) the target behavior was a form of PA. An omnibus meta-analysis estimating the mean effect of all included studies, and separate meta-analyses for perceived consequences content categories were conducted. Results This search yielded 6,979 articles, of these, 110 studies met inclusion criteria. Studies were published between 1989 and 2020, with sample sizes ranging from 16 to 2,824. All studies were evaluated as moderate to high quality. A small positive bivariate association was identified (r = 0.11; 95% CI [0.09, 0.13]) between perceived consequences and PA. Significant associations were identified for time, health, self-evaluative, psychological, and affective consequences. There was no association between perceived weight-related consequences and PA. Conclusions The findings emphasize the variability with which existing studies have examined perceived consequences in the PA literature. Future research might examine whether these are important distinctions for understanding PA. Overall, the results suggest utility in examining perceived consequences as a predictor of PA, but constructs with more robust associations may require priority.

1019Socioeconomic inequities in 5-year weight trajectories in association with baseline weight-related perceptions: a longitudinal study

Background Recognition of overweight may be a necessary pre-cursor for weight-reduction, but some suggest under-perceiving overweight may be protective against obesity. Differential responses may occur across socioeconomic strata. Methods Five-year body mass index (BMI) trajectories were examined using multilevel models of 8174 participants stratified by gender, neighbourhood socioeconomic circumstances, baseline BMI and perceived weight status, adjusting for potential confounders. Results At baseline, weight-related dissatisfaction and perceived overweight were associated with higher mean BMI, regardless of whether people were classified as ‘normal’ or overweight by WHO criteria. Mean BMI did not decrease among people classified as overweight who perceived themselves as overweight, or expressed weight-related dissatisfaction. Among those with ‘normal’ BMI at baseline but dissatisfied with their weight, mean BMI increased disproportionately among people in disadvantaged areas. Mean BMI also rose disproportionately for people in disadvantaged areas among those feeling overweight, despite having a ‘normal’ BMI, compared to people with the same over-perception but living in affluent areas. Conclusions No evidence was found to suggest accurate recognition of overweight or expressing weight-related dissatisfaction leads to a lower BMI. However, there was evidence of an increase in mean BMI among people who felt dissatisfied with, or over-perceived their ‘normal’ weight, especially in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas. Key messages Correction of under-perceptions may not drive weight loss, but circumstances contributing to over-perception and dissatisfaction with weight status may contribute to increased weight gain and exacerbate socioeconomic inequities in BMI.

Exercise in virtual reality with a muscular avatar influences performance on a weightlifting exercise

Virtual Reality (VR) technology can be used to influence performance on endurance exercises. In this study, we focused on manipulating perception of own-body strength by exercising in VR as a muscular avatar. In this repeated-measure study, twenty-nine participants performed biceps curl exercise in a maximum repetitions protocol, up to exhaustion. The exercise was done either in VR as a muscular avatar, or without VR, in front of the mirror. Dependent variables were the number of exercise repetitions and self-reported exertion. We also controlled blood glucose level, perceived weight of the barbell and level of embodiment. Participants performed significantly more biceps curl repetitions in the VR condition (Z = -2.05, p < .05) with an effect size of d = 0.36. The self-reported effort did not differ significantly between conditions. The results of this study may have an applied significance since number of exercise repetitions is an ecologically valid measure, directly relevant to real training protocols.

The Interaction Between BMI, Weight Criticism, Weight Bias and Psychological and Relational Outcomes Within Marriage

Purpose: To examine 1) whether a wife’s BMI interacts with either her husband’s weight stigma or 2) her perceived weight criticisms from her husband predict husbands’ and wives’ psychological and relational outcomes. Methods: The study sample consisted of 209 currently married men and women in a heterosexual relationship. Participants were drawn from an online survey platform (Qualtrics, Inc. Provo, UT) designed to approximate the US population on age, race, and region of the country. Online measures assessed husbands’ weight stigma, wives’ perceived weight criticisms from husband, and husbands’ and wives’: 1) relationship satisfaction, 2) sexual intimacy, 3) self-esteem, 4) depressive symptoms, and 5) perceptions of a desirable or ideal mate. Results: Wives’ BMI interacted with husbands’ weight stigma to predict 1) mate value for husbands and wives and 2) marital satisfaction for husbands. The same pattern was noted with interaction of wives’ BMI and perceptions of husbands’ weight related criticisms. The interaction reflected that higher wife BMI and higher husband weight stigma or wife perceived weight-related criticism predicted lower marital satisfaction, greater depression, and lower perceptions of a desirable or an ideal mate. Lower BMI was not associated with outcomes regardless of the husbands’ weight stigma or wives’ perceived weight-related criticisms. Conclusion: To understand the impact of weight stigma and weight related criticisms on perceptions of a desirable or ideal mate and marital outcomes, it is important to examine the interaction with partner’s BMI.Level of Evidence: III: Evidence obtained from cohort or case–control analytic studies.

The indirect effects of Instagram images on women’s self-esteem: The moderating roles of BMI and perceived weight

Viewing idealized social media images may negatively impact women’s self-esteem, yet the underlying mechanisms and vulnerable female groups remain under-investigated. This online experiment applied a posttest-only, between-subjects design to examine the interaction effects of viewing #fitspiration and #thinspiration Instagram images, body mass index, and perceived weight on women’s self-esteem ( N = 221) via appearance comparison. A moderated moderated mediation analysis (MMMA) shows significant effects for fitspiration and thinspiration conditions. Fitspiration pictures predicted lower self-esteem among Overweight women with perceived healthy weight (OH) than healthy weight women with perceived healthy weight (HH) and those with perceived overweight (HO). Thinspiration images resulted in lower self-esteem among HO than HH and OH. Implications include the importance of subjective and objective appearance comparison measurements, effect sizes of idealized social media images, the usefulness of MMMA, and the call for an Instagram literacy program.