Profiles of experienced and internalized weight-based stigma in college students across the weight spectrum: Associations with eating disorder, depression, and anxiety symptoms

Abstract

Objective: Weight stigma comprises negative attitudes and weight-related stereotypes that result in rejection, discrimination, and prejudice against individuals in larger bodies. Both internalized and experienced weight stigma are associated with negative mental health outcomes, yet it remains unknown how types of stigmatizing experiences (e.g., systemic vs. intraindividual), internalized stigma, and weight status relate, or how profiles of weight stigma differentially impact mental health.

Method: The current study (N = 1001 undergraduates) used latent profile analysis to identify weight stigma risk profiles and test whether profiles were cross-sectionally associated with eating disorder symptoms, depression, and social appearance anxiety.

Results: The best-fitting solution indicated a class high on all facets of weight stigma, a class low on all facets of weight stigma, and three groups with intermediate levels of weight, weight bias internalization, and experienced weight stigma. Gender, but not ethnicity, was associated with class membership. Classes with higher experienced and internalized stigma had higher eating disorder symptoms, depression, and social appearance anxiety.

Conclusion: Findings support the utility of weight stigma profiles in identifying risk for negative mental health outcomes. These findings can inform initiatives to reduce weight stigma among college students, especially among high-risk groups.

Keywords: Depression; Eating disorders; Latent profile analysis; Social appearance anxiety; Weight stigma.