Changes in weight bias following weight loss: the impact of weight-loss method

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Many obese individuals lose weight to reduce weight stigma; however, little is known about whether other people's attitudes actually improve towards obese

individuals after they have lost weight, and whether changes in attitudes depend on the method of weight loss. This study examined changes in people's perceptions of an obese target who

had lost weight through diet and exercise or through surgery. METHOD: Participants (_N_=73) initially viewed an image of an obese woman or a thin woman (control condition), and were asked

to indicate their perceptions of the target with respect to the target's behaviors (for example, how often she exercises), as well as some personality characteristics (for example,

lazy, sloppy and competent). Participants then viewed a more recent image of the target in which she had lost weight, and were informed that the target had lost weight through diet and

exercise or through surgery, or were not provided with any explanation for the weight loss. Participants once again indicated their impression of the target on the same measures. RESULTS:

Regardless of the method of weight loss, all targets were rated as eating more healthily, exercising more, and being more competent and less sloppy after having lost weight. Participants

also rated the target as less lazy when they learned that she had lost weight through diet and exercise, or when no information was provided about the method of weight loss; the target who

lost weight through surgery, however, was not seen as being any less lazy after losing weight. CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that perceptions of obese individuals can in fact improve

after they have lost weight, but that this might depend on the method of weight loss. Access through your institution Buy or subscribe This is a preview of subscription content, access via

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* Learn about institutional subscriptions * Read our FAQs * Contact customer support SIMILAR CONTENT BEING VIEWED BY OTHERS THE MODIFIED WEIGHT BIAS INTERNALIZATION SCALE: MEASUREMENT

INVARIANCE BY WEIGHT STATUS AND RACE AMONG UNDERGRADUATE WOMEN Article 14 August 2024 HIGHER-WEIGHT SOCIAL IDENTITY AS A RISK AND PROTECTIVE FACTOR IN THE NEGATIVE HEALTH CONSEQUENCES OF

WEIGHT STIGMA: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW Article Open access 16 April 2025 DIFFERENTIAL MECHANISMS AFFECTING WEIGHT LOSS AND WEIGHT LOSS MAINTENANCE Article 23 August 2023 REFERENCES * Ogden CL,

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stereotypes of obese individuals (submitted for publication). Download references AUTHOR INFORMATION AUTHORS AND AFFILIATIONS * School of Psychology, The University of New South Wales,

Sydney, NSW, Australia J Fardouly & L R Vartanian Authors * J Fardouly View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * L R Vartanian View author

publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar CORRESPONDING AUTHOR Correspondence to L R Vartanian. ETHICS DECLARATIONS COMPETING INTERESTS The authors declare no

conflict of interest. RIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS Reprints and permissions ABOUT THIS ARTICLE CITE THIS ARTICLE Fardouly, J., Vartanian, L. Changes in weight bias following weight loss: the

impact of weight-loss method. _Int J Obes_ 36, 314–319 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2011.26 Download citation * Received: 23 December 2010 * Accepted: 23 January 2011 * Published: 01

March 2011 * Issue Date: February 2012 * DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2011.26 SHARE THIS ARTICLE Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content: Get shareable

link Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article. Copy to clipboard Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative KEYWORDS * weight bias *

stereotypes * weight loss * diet and exercise * surgery