Understanding Internalised Weight Bias in Australian Males: Exploring Relationships Between Internalised Weight Bias, Self-Compassion, and Health Outcomes
Date
2022
Authors
Kimber, Bethany
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Abstract
Internalised weight bias, the devaluation of oneself based on one's weight, is associated with poor physical and psychological health outcomes. Emerging evidence suggests that self-compassion may help explain the relationship between internalised weight bias and poor outcomes. Self-compassion is widely understood to increase individuals' psychological and physical well-being. The limited research in the field of internalised weight bias has primarily focused on females. Presently, no research has examined relationships between internalised weight bias, self-compassion, and poor outcomes in Australian males. A sample of 170 weight-diverse Australian males aged 18-83 completed an online cross-sectional survey containing demographics and validated self-report measures of internalised weight bias, self-compassion, psychological well-being, and eating behaviours. Consistent with prior research, simple linear regressions found that lower levels of internalised weight bias and greater self-compassion were associated with greater psychological well-being and healthier eating behaviours. Bootstrapping resampling procedures found that self-compassion mediated the relationship between internalised weight bias and psychological well-being. Additionally, self-compassion mediated the relationship between internalised weight bias and eating behaviours. The preliminary cross-sectional results suggest that males who internalise negative stereotypes about their weight may find it challenging to be compassionate towards themselves, which may result in poor psychological well-being and disordered eating behaviours. Results also suggest that, for Australian males with high levels of internalised weight bias, psychological interventions that seek to enhance self-compassion may offer one means to reduce the poor outcomes associated with this bias.
School/Discipline
School of Psychology
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Thesis (B.PsychSc(Hons)) -- University of Adelaide, School of Psychology, 2023
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