Investigating the Influence of Threat Appraisals and Social Support on Healthy Eating Behavior and Drive for Thinness

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between perceived obesity threats, social support, and college students' eating attitudes and behaviors. Results showed that perceived vulnerability to obesity negatively predicted healthy eating behavior. In addition, the perceived severity of obesity-related health problems positively predicted women's drive for thinness. Social support played a significant role in explaining health behaviors. Specifically, appraisal by others indirectly predicted college students' healthy eating behavior through increased self-efficacy. Among women, informational support moderated the relationships between both vulnerability and severity on healthy eating behavior. At low levels of support, vulnerability and severity negatively predicted students' healthy eating behavior. Overall, results suggest that messages designed to increase perceived vulnerability and severity may be detrimental when trying to improve people's dietary habits; however, among women certain types of social support may buffer the defensive responses resulting from obesity threats.

Notes

¹Social threats may be another form of threat that motivates health behavior change (see R. A. Smith, Ferrara, & Witte, 2007). The cultural stigma item, “in our society, obese people are regarded as unattractive,” and two cultural appearance items, “attractiveness is very important if you want to get ahead in our culture,” and “most people believe that the thinner you are, the better you look” were added to the existing regression model. Only cultural stigma significantly predicted healthy eating behavior (β = −.09, p < .05). When social support and threat appraisal variables were added to the model, the beta coefficient was no longer significant.

²Correlations between control measures and predictor and criterion measures are available on request.