Too fat, too thin: Understanding bias against overweight and underweight in an Australian female university student sample

OBJECTIVE: We compare attribution and social comparison theories as potential explanations for attitudes towards overweight and underweight targets among Australian university students. DESIGN: 185 female students (median age 18) completed a measure of body image state, then read one of six vignettes, describing a female student who was underweight, average weight or overweight, and who did or did not have a medical condition affecting weight. Independent variables were target weight (underweight, average-weight, overweight); weight controllability (no information, uncontrollable); and participant body image (higher, lower). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Participants evaluated the target on six characteristics derived from existing research on weight bias, on seven-point Likert scales: attractive; healthy; likeable; motivated; self-disciplined; having willpower. RESULTS: A three-way between-participants multivariate analysis of covariance was conducted, with post hoc comparisons of significant effects. Overweight targets were rated more negatively than average-weight and underweight targets. Uncontrollability (medical) information produced more positive evaluations of the overweight target, but more negative evaluations of the underweight target. Ratings of the average-weight target were not influenced by uncontrollability information. Participant body image state had no significant effects. CONCLUSION: Results provided partial support for attribution theory, but not for social comparison theory, as an explanation of weight bias.