Acculturation's Influence on Antifat Attitudes, Body Image and Eating Behaviors∗

∗ Portions of this study were presented at the 2007 International Conference on Eating Disorders in Baltimore, MD.

Abstract

Antifat attitudes (AFA) refer to the belief that overweight and obese individuals are responsible for their weight. Using 264 Latina and European American females, a regression showed that AFA positively correlated with body dissatisfaction and eating concerns. An ANOVA revealed that European American females reported significantly greater AFA than Latinas. Furthermore, European American females and high acculturated Latinas reported significantly greater AFA than both bicultural and low acculturated Latinas. No differences existed between European Americans and high acculturated Latinas. Language-use significantly interacted with body dissatisfaction to predict AFA. The role of AFA, acculturation, and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Notes

¹ Crandall (1994) used the words fat and antifat because of their descriptive nature. As Crandall (1994) explained, the terms are not used in a derogatory sense. They are used because they do not imply a medical condition (i.e., obesity) nor represent a normative standard (i.e., overweight). This review will follow his format.

∗ Portions of this study were presented at the 2007 International Conference on Eating Disorders in Baltimore, MD.