Challenging fat talk: An experimental investigation of reactions to body disparaging conversations

Ambwani, Suman; Baumgardner, Megan; Guo, Cai; Simms, Lea; Abromowitz, Emily

doi:10.1016/j.bodyim.2017.08.007

Cited by 17 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…Participants indicated higher body dissatisfaction (22.81 ± 9.261) when compared to previous research among Indians conducted pre-lockdown (20.43 ± 8.69) (Sharma et al, 2019). The fat talk levels were however lower (18.61 ± 6.701) compared to American undergraduate women (22.48 ± 3.69) (Ambwani et al, 2017). All skewness and kurtosis values for all of the study variables were found to be well within acceptable ranges (i.e.…”

Section: Resultscontrasting

confidence: 58%

“…The total was calculated by adding each score (ranging from 7 to 35). Past research supports the reliability of the NBT-BC subscale (4-to 6-week test-retest r = 0.68, Cronbach's alpha = 0.88) (Ambwani et al, 2017).…”

Section: Negative Body Talk -Body Concerns Subscalementioning

confidence: 80%

“…According to Nichter (2000), such conversations appear to be a social ritual among friends: a way of being, and of creating solidarity. Related research has been largely done on Western populations, that too primarily on undergraduate women (Ambwani et al, 2017;Britton et al, 2006), which has highlighted that the influence of fat talk is significantly mediated by socio-cultural factors, social stereotypes and dietary habits. Hence it is essential to study the same in varied cultural contexts.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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RETRACTED: ‘Weighty woes’: Impact of fat talk and social influences on body dissatisfaction among Indian women during the pandemic

Ahuja¹,

Khandelwal

Banerjee

2021

Int J Soc Psychiatry

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Background: Psychosocial offshoots of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have extended to body dissatisfaction, especially among women. Factors such as increased social media exposure, weight gain memes, and peer conversations about appearance during lockdown might be the potential contributing factors, which need further exploration. The study examined the contribution of ‘fat talk’ and societal influences in determining body dissatisfaction among Indian women. The likely content of the ‘fat talk’ during the lockdown was also analyzed. Methods: The study followed a cross-sectional online based design. Participants comprised of 265 women, aged 15 to 50 years. The Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ-8c), Sociocultural Attitudes toward Appearance Questionnaire (SATAQ-3), and Negative Body Talk Scale were used to measure body satisfaction, societal influences, and fat talk respectively. Further, participants were asked to respond to a friend’s comment about her supposed weight gain in the pandemic (fat talk). Results: Fat talk, social influence, weight, and age were significantly correlated with body dissatisfaction. Multiple Regression models indicated that fat talk, social influence, weight, and age accounted for 53.33% of the variance in body satisfaction. Thematic analysis of responses to fat-talk conversations revealed two dominant themes: focus on exercise and diet, as well as acknowledging weight gain and normalizing it in the context of the pandemic. Conclusion: Fat talk amongst peers, societal influence and body-image stereotypes were the most potent contributors in determining body dissatisfaction among Indian women during the pandemic, which can contribute to significant dysfunction. These factors need addressal in the socio-cultural context through health campaigns, interpersonal strategies, and more positive and constructive forms of weight and body image-related communication.

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Section: Resultscontrasting

confidence: 58%

Section: Negative Body Talk -Body Concerns Subscalementioning

confidence: 80%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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RETRACTED: ‘Weighty woes’: Impact of fat talk and social influences on body dissatisfaction among Indian women during the pandemic

Ahuja¹,

Khandelwal

Banerjee

2021

Int J Soc Psychiatry

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“…Two of these studies compared challenging negative body talk, as an alternative response, with reciprocating negative body talk (Ambwani, Baumgardner, Guo, Simms, & Abromowitz, 2017;. Salk and Engeln-Maddox's (2012) study examined participants' reactions to two female confederates' conversation about an advertisement featuring a fashion model.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In Ambwani et al's (2017) study, participants were randomised into two conditions where they viewed vignettes describing negative body talk between two people, which was either reciprocated or challenged by feminist ideas. These ideas included appreciating one's body for its functionality, not basing self-worth on appearance, and rejecting societal pressures associated with being thin.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

The Impact of Different Responses to Negative Body Talk on Body Satisfaction, Shame, and Future Fat Talk Likelihood: A UK Sample

Mills¹,

Mata²,

Ling³

et al. 2021

Preprint

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A recent online experiment found that, following a negative body talk induction task, receiving a response of ignoring the comment, compared with reassuring, reciprocating, and challenging, led to worse body satisfaction and socio-emotional outcomes for Australian women. The current online study aimed to replicate and extend this study by examining the effects of these four negative body talk responses on body satisfaction, shame, and future negative body talk likelihood in UK-based women. Participants (N = 156, Mage = 25.29, SDage = 5.64, rangeage = 18-40) recalled a scenario in which they engaged in negative body talk and were randomly assigned to receive one of four responses. Contrary to hypotheses, there were no significant differences in body satisfaction, shame, or future negative body talk likelihood across the four groups. Preferred negative body talk response data were mixed, with challenge and reassurance responses preferred at comparable rates, and just under a quarter of participants preferring a response outside of the original four. Possible explanations, including that the responses used in the original Australasian study may not perfectly correspond with UK women’s experiences of social interactions and heterogeneous motivations for engaging in negative body talk necessitate more nuanced and sophisticated responses, are explored.

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Body Image Throughout the Lifespan

et al. 2023

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Challenging fat talk: An experimental investigation of reactions to body disparaging conversations

Cited by 17 publications

References 44 publications

RETRACTED: ‘Weighty woes’: Impact of fat talk and social influences on body dissatisfaction among Indian women during the pandemic

RETRACTED: ‘Weighty woes’: Impact of fat talk and social influences on body dissatisfaction among Indian women during the pandemic

The Impact of Different Responses to Negative Body Talk on Body Satisfaction, Shame, and Future Fat Talk Likelihood: A UK Sample

Body Image Throughout the Lifespan

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