An Investigation of the Perceptions of Fat Talk among Undergraduate College Students

This study will investigate the perceptions of “fat talk” among undergraduate college students. Twenty-five students of the University of New Hampshire- Durham participated in a study that examined the perceptions of ideal body images, body comparisons and attractiveness. Participants took part in qualitative interviews discussing the topics mentioned above. The results were analyzed using qualitative methods which focused on gender differences of the three topics. The results suggest that there are differences in gender perceptions of attractiveness and body comparisons. The results also show that both genders reported having engaged or overheard peers express body dissatisfaction and body comparison