Born Fat: The Relations Between Weight Changeability Beliefs and Health Behaviors and Physical Health

Health Education & Behavior : the Official Publication of the Society for Public Health Education
Mike C Parent, Jessica L Alquist

Abstract

Although some popular press and nonscholarly sources have claimed that weight is largely unchangeable, the relationship between this belief and objective measures of health remains unclear. We tested the hypothesis that people who believe weight is unchangeable will have poorer objective and subjective health, and fewer exercise behaviors and poorer eating habits, than people who believe weight is changeable. Participants were 4,166 men and 4,655 women enrolled in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in the 2007 to 2010 iterations. Believing that weight was uncontrollable was negatively related to exercise and healthful dietary practices and positively related to unhealthful eating. Lack of exercise and unhealthful eating were, in turn, associated with poor physical health. Age, but not gender, moderated the relationships between belief in weight changeability and exercise behaviors, healthful eating, and unhealthful eating. This study suggests that believing weight is unchangeable is associated with poor health behaviors and poorer physical health.

References

Jan 1, 1988·Health Education Quarterly·I M RosenstockM H Becker
Jan 1, 1986·Health Education Quarterly·V J StrecherI M Rosenstock
Dec 1, 1982·Journal of Personality Assessment·E B Saltzer
Dec 1, 1994·The Journal of Applied Psychology·J J Martocchio
Mar 21, 1998·International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders : Journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity·B J CaanS M Edwards
Apr 7, 1999·Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes·C Tabernero, R E Wood
Apr 4, 2002·Psychological Methods·Roderick P McDonald, Moon-Ho Ringo Ho
Oct 25, 2002·The British Journal of Educational Psychology·C K John WangStuart J H Biddle
Nov 1, 2005·Journal of American College Health : J of ACH·Marcus KilpatrickJohn Bartholomew
May 25, 2006·Health Psychology : Official Journal of the Division of Health Psychology, American Psychological Association·Jennifer A LindeRobert W Jeffery
Jan 11, 2007·The American Journal of Orthopsychiatry·Barry Panzer
Jun 21, 2007·Obesity Reviews : an Official Journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity·S Connor GorberB Gorber
Dec 20, 2007·Body Image·Marika Tiggemann
Dec 20, 2007·Body Image·Marlene B Schwartz, Kelly D Brownell
Dec 17, 2009·American Journal of Epidemiology·Rahman ShiriEira Viikari-Juntura
Feb 4, 2010·Obesity Reviews : an Official Journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity·D Withrow, D A Alter
Feb 25, 2010·Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin·Jeni L Burnette
May 26, 2010·Health Psychology : Official Journal of the Division of Health Psychology, American Psychological Association·Kerri N BoutelleEric Stice
Nov 9, 2010·Structural Equation Modeling : a Multidisciplinary Journal·Kimberly L Henry, Bengt Muthén
Jan 14, 2011·Diabetes Care·UNKNOWN American Diabetes Association
Jan 26, 2011·Nutrition Journal·Linda Bacon, Lucy Aphramor
Jul 20, 2011·American Journal of Preventive Medicine·Alicia A ThorpDavid W Dunstan
Jan 19, 2012·JAMA : the Journal of the American Medical Association·Katherine M FlegalCynthia L Ogden
Mar 6, 2012·European Journal of Internal Medicine·Morohunfolu E AkinnusiAli A El-Solh
Mar 28, 2012·International Journal of Obesity : Journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity·S A RoseJ Conigliaro

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations


❮ Previous
Next ❯

Methods Mentioned

BETA
blood draws
amputations

Software Mentioned

Mplus
DG

Related Concepts

Trending Feeds

COVID-19

Coronaviruses encompass a large family of viruses that cause the common cold as well as more serious diseases, such as the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19; formally known as 2019-nCoV). Coronaviruses can spread from animals to humans; symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties; in more severe cases, infection can lead to death. This feed covers recent research on COVID-19.

Blastomycosis

Blastomycosis fungal infections spread through inhaling Blastomyces dermatitidis spores. Discover the latest research on blastomycosis fungal infections here.

Nuclear Pore Complex in ALS/FTD

Alterations in nucleocytoplasmic transport, controlled by the nuclear pore complex, may be involved in the pathomechanism underlying multiple neurodegenerative diseases including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Here is the latest research on the nuclear pore complex in ALS and FTD.

Applications of Molecular Barcoding

The concept of molecular barcoding is that each original DNA or RNA molecule is attached to a unique sequence barcode. Sequence reads having different barcodes represent different original molecules, while sequence reads having the same barcode are results of PCR duplication from one original molecule. Discover the latest research on molecular barcoding here.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a disease characterized by unexplained disabling fatigue; the pathology of which is incompletely understood. Discover the latest research on chronic fatigue syndrome here.

Evolution of Pluripotency

Pluripotency refers to the ability of a cell to develop into three primary germ cell layers of the embryo. This feed focuses on the mechanisms that underlie the evolution of pluripotency. Here is the latest research.

Position Effect Variegation

Position Effect Variagation occurs when a gene is inactivated due to its positioning near heterochromatic regions within a chromosome. Discover the latest research on Position Effect Variagation here.

STING Receptor Agonists

Stimulator of IFN genes (STING) are a group of transmembrane proteins that are involved in the induction of type I interferon that is important in the innate immune response. The stimulation of STING has been an active area of research in the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. Here is the latest research on STING receptor agonists.

Microbicide

Microbicides are products that can be applied to vaginal or rectal mucosal surfaces with the goal of preventing, or at least significantly reducing, the transmission of sexually transmitted infections. Here is the latest research on microbicides.