Browsing by Author "Nutter, Sarah"
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- ItemOpen AccessExploring weight bias internalization in pregnancy(2022-07-29) Nagpal, Taniya S.; Salas, Ximena R.; Vallis, Michael; Piccinini-Vallis, Helena; Alberga, Angela S.; Bell, Rhonda C.; da Silva, Danilo F.; Davenport, Margie H.; Gaudet, Laura; Rodriguez, Angela C. I.; Liu, Rebecca H.; Myre, Maxine; Nerenberg, Kara; Nutter, Sarah; Russell-Mayhew, Shelly; Souza, Sara C. S.; Vilhan, Candace; Adamo, Kristi B.Abstract Background Recent research has shown that pregnant individuals experience weight stigma throughout gestation, including negative comments and judgement associated with gestational weight gain (GWG). Weight bias internalization (WBI) is often a result of exposure to weight stigma and is detrimental to biopsychological health outcomes. The purpose of this study was to explore WBI in pregnancy and compare scores based on maternal weight-related factors including pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI), obesity diagnosis and excessive GWG. Methods Pregnant individuals in Canada and USA completed a modified version of the Adult Weight Bias Internalization Scale. Self-reported pre-pregnancy height and weight were collected to calculate and classify pre-pregnancy BMI. Current weight was also reported to calculate GWG, which was then classified as excessive or not based on Institute of Medicine (2009) guidelines. Participants indicated if they were diagnosed with obesity by a healthcare provider. Inferential analyses were performed comparing WBI scores according to pre-pregnancy BMI, excessive GWG, and obesity diagnosis. Significance was accepted as p < 0.05 and effect sizes accompanied all analyses. Result 336 pregnant individuals completed the survey, with an average WBI score of 3.9 ± 1.2. WBI was higher among those who had a pre-pregnancy BMI of obese than normal weight (p = 0.04, η2 = 0.03), diagnosed with obesity than not diagnosed (p < 0.001, Cohen’s d = 1.3), and gained excessively versus not (p < 0.001, Cohen’s d = 1.2). Conclusions Pregnant individuals who have a higher BMI, obesity and gain excessively may experience WBI. Given that weight stigma frequently occurs in pregnancy, effective person-oriented strategies are needed to mitigate stigma and prevent and care for WBI.
- ItemOpen AccessIdeology, Thin-Ideal Internalization, and Social Comparison: An Examination of the Correlates of Weight Bias(2014-09-30) Nutter, Sarah; Russell-Mayhew, ShellyAlthough a history of research and social action has led to progress in the areas of race and gender bias, weight bias, or the negative attitudes and beliefs towards people with obesity, has been given considerably less focus. Given the increasing rates of obesity and the increase in the intensity and frequency of weight-bias, research is needed to elucidate factors associated with weight bias. This research quantitatively examined the relationship between three social ideologies, thin-ideal internalization, and social comparison processes in relation to weight bias. Participants were 153 adults from the United States recruited through Amazon.com’s Mechanical Turk. The results suggested that, while social ideology remains significantly associated with weight bias, thin-ideal internalization and social comparisons are also significantly associated with both explicit and implicit weight bias. Future research may want to more closely align with body image research, and investigate the utility of body image interventions for weight bias.
- ItemOpen AccessPositioning of Weight Bias: Moving towards Social Justice(2016-09-22) Nutter, Sarah; Russell-Mayhew, Shelly; Alberga, Angela S.; Arthur, Nancy; Kassan, Anusha; Lund, Darren E.; Sesma-Vazquez, Monica; Williams, EmilyWeight bias is a form of stigma with detrimental effects on the health and wellness of individuals with large bodies. Researchers from various disciplines have recognized weight bias as an important topic for public health and for professional practice. To date, researchers from various areas have approached weight bias from independent perspectives and from differing theoretical orientations. In this paper, we examined the similarities and differences between three perspectives (i.e., weight-centric, non-weight-centric (health-centric), and health at every size) used to understand weight bias and approach weight bias research with regard to (a) language about people with large bodies, (b) theoretical position, (c) identified consequences of weight bias, and (d) identified influences on weight-based social inequity. We suggest that, despite differences, each perspective acknowledges the negative influences that position weight as being within individual control and the negative consequences of weight bias. We call for recognition and discussion of weight bias as a social justice issue in order to change the discourse and professional practices extended towards individuals with large bodies. We advocate for an emphasis on social justice as a uniting framework for interdisciplinary research on weight bias.
- ItemOpen AccessWeight Bias as a Social Justice Issue in an Unjust World(2019-08-26) Nutter, Sarah; Russell-Mayhew, Shelly K.; Arthur, Nancy Marie; Ellard, John H.Weight bias is a widespread and persistent form of stigma. It negatively impacts individuals with large bodies across the lifespan and in multiple social contexts. The current research addresses two important gaps in weight bias literature: (1) the limited understanding of the nature of weigh bias, and (2) the limited direct connection of weight bias literature to social justice. This research connects weight bias literature to diverse approaches to social justice (distributive justice, procedural justice, and ecological justice) that provide the opportunity to more strongly situate weight bias as a social justice issue. Connecting this to counselling psychology, the current research also considers the implications of weight bias as a social justice issue for the education and practice of counselling psychologists. To contribute to the limited understanding of the nature of weight bias, this research extends previous correlational research on the relationships between the belief in a just world and weight bias. Utilizing justice motive theory, the impact of the justice motive on perceptions of individuals with large bodies, both within and outside of counselling, are considered. This consideration is followed by three experimental investigations of the impact of the justice motive on perceptions and evaluations of individuals with large bodies. The current research provides directions for both furthering our understanding of the nature of weight bias through consideration of the justice motive as well as for furthering the connection between weight bias and conversations related to social justice, with the goal of working towards equality for individuals of all body sizes.
- ItemOpen AccessThe “Yummy Mummy” Phenomenon: How Exposure to Celebrity Postpartum Thin-Ideals Impact Postpartum Women’s Eating Attitudes and Pathology(2019-07-03) McPhee, Kyla; Russell-Mathew, Shelly; Nutter, SarahAlthough a large body of literature exists on the deleterious impact of exposure to the thin-ideal, researchers are only starting to investigate how celebrity representations of postpartum bodies influence postpartum women’s mental and physical health. Considering pandemic levels of body dissatisfaction and rises in eating disorders in modern Western culture, further research is required to delineate factors associated with exposure to the postpartum thin-ideal. The current study utilized a factorial analysis of variance to examine the relationship between exposure to the postpartum thin-ideal and postpartum women’s eating attitudes and pathology, body dissatisfaction, depressive symptoms, self-esteem, and internalization of the thin-ideal. Participants were 100 postpartum women recruited through Prolific Academic. The results of the study suggested that exposure to the postpartum thin-ideal may not significantly impact eating attitudes and pathology, depressive symptoms, self-esteem, body dissatisfaction, and internalization of the thin-ideal in postpartum women. However, sexual orientation, historical and/or current postpartum depression, parity status, and potentially a history of an eating disorder, were found to be factors related to eating attitudes and pathology, depressive symptoms, and body dissatisfaction in postpartum women. Further research could advance the existing literature on the impact of exposure to the postpartum thin-ideal and could also inform counsellors and health professionals about critical factors which influence the care of postpartum populations.