The relationship among weight controllability, weight-based stereotypes and attitudes, and weight loss behaviors

Beliefs about personal control over body weight and attitudes about persons who are overweight may be related to one’s own body esteem (Schwartz, Vartanian, Nosek, & Brownell, 2006). In addition, body esteem has been found to be related to adoption of weight loss behaviors in a variety of studies (e.g., Stice & Shaw, 1994). We explored multidimensional relationships among perception of weight controllability, negative stereotypes about obese persons, body esteem, and weight loss behaviors to examine connections among all variables. Five hypotheses were derived from previous research and informed by Bandura’s discussion of self-efficacy connecting perceptions of control to behavior (1982): H1: Beliefs about weight control are positively related to body esteem; H2: Beliefs about weight control are positively related to obesity stereotypes; H3: Anti-fat attitude is positively related to obesity stereotypes; H4: Body esteem is positively related to weight loss behaviors; And H5: Obesity stereotypes are positively related to weight loss behaviors