Perceptions of Obesity Across the Lifespan

Objective: Previous research on obesity stereotyping has almost extensively involved looking at the perceptions that 5-21-year-old individuals have toward members of their own age in-group. Very little research has examined how people perceive obesity across the lifespan. The current research begins to address this gap by examining the extent to which individuals between 18 and 77 years of age stereotype obesity in 20, 40, and 60-year-old targets. Methods and Procedures: A total of 106 male and 102 female white participants viewed nine standardized Adobe-cropped photos that depicted 20, 40, and 60-year-old faces on slender, large, and very large-sized bodies. After viewing each photo, participants evaluated the targets on six dimensions used in previous obesity stereotyping research. Results: As predicted, heavier women were rated more negatively than thinner women on every dimension we examined. In addition, older women were rated more negatively than younger women on attractiveness, but more positively on every other dimension. Other main effects revealed that female (relative to male) and older (relative to younger) participants were more lenient in their ratings. Several two-way interactions revealed that the obesity stereotype for attractiveness is exaggerated when targets are younger, that males (compared to females) levy a greater penalty for increasing weight, and that this pattern is exaggerated more for younger men. Discussion: This research shows a consistency across the lifespan in the extent to which participants, varying in weight, age, and sex, stereotype obesity. It also appears that, at least with respect to attractiveness, younger obese individuals are denigrated to a larger degree than older. In sum, this research shows prevalent and consistent patterns of obesity stereotyping across the lifespan.