Gender Differences in Fat Talk Among American Adults: Results from the Psychology of Size Survey

Vignettes were used to assess gender differences in likelihood of hearing others engage in and perceived pressure to join in positive, negative (fat talk), and self-accepting body talk. An age-representative sample of 4,014 adult women and men voluntarily responded to an emailed “Health and Wellness” survey from an internet polling company with whom they had pre-registered. Women reported more likelihood of hearing fat-talk scenarios and greater pressure to participate in them compared to men. Only a subset of participants reported frequent exposure to and pressure to join in fat talk. Demographic predictors of pressure to engage in fat talk were also examined. This was the first survey to examine body talk among older adults

Behavioral Treatment for a Female Engaging in Autoerotic Asphyxiation

Once thought to be a phenomenon only practiced by men, autoerotic asphyxiation, a form of sexual masochism that is life-threatening, has been documented in women. This case study presents a 22-year-old college female with comorbid depression and avoidant personality disorder complaining of the use of autoerotic asphyxiation during masturbation. This female was a virgin and reported that asphyxiation by use of a ligature had always been used since puberty during masturbation and was necessary for her to obtain orgasm. This behavior was conceptualized within an obsessive-compulsive cycle. Covert systematic desensitization using her written sexual fantasy across 10 psychotherapy sessions was able to neutralize the power of the fantasy to elicit orgasm. Subsequent behavioral deterrents and experimentation with a vibrator enabled this female to reach orgasm without engaging in asphyxiation. Following this success, psychotherapy continued to focus on managing her depression and avoidance tendencies

Physician’s Personal and Practice Use of CAM Therapies in a Rural Community in the Southeast United States

Abstract not availabl

A Writing Intervention for Negative Body Image: Pennebaker Fails to Surpass the Placebo

Pennebaker’s therapeutic writing paradigm was assessed as a brief intervention for negative body image. Females were randomly assigned to write about their body image (experimental; n = 23) or their bedroom (controls; n = 25) for four days. Body image, eating-disordered behavior, and mood were assessed at baseline, after the 4th day of writing, and at 1-month follow-up. Despite hypotheses that experimental participants would show more improvement over time, participation in the study, regardless of condition, was related to significant improvements in body image and mood, and decreased eating-disordered behavior over time. Placebo, sensitization effects, and regression to the mean are discussed as potential explanations for this unexpected finding. Suggestions for future research are made

Gender Comparisons of Fat Talk in the United Kingdom and the United States

This study compared different forms of body talk, including “fat talk,” among 231 university men and women in central England (UK; n=93) and the southeastern United States (US; n=138). A 2 (gender) by 2 (country) repeated measures ANOVA across types of body talk (negative, self-accepting, positive) and additional Chi-square analyses revealed that there were differences across gender and between the UK and US cultures. Specifically, UK and US women were more likely to report frequently hearing or perceiving pressure to engage in fat talk than men. US women and men were also more likely to report pressure to join in self-accepting body talk than UK women and men

Evaluation of a Cognitive–Behavioral Therapy Intervention to Improve Body Image and Decrease Dieting in College Women

This two-group experimental study evaluated the effectiveness of a cognitive–behavioral body image intervention, adapted from an effective clinical intervention, with normal college females. Participants included nonclinical, freshman college women who were assigned randomly to either the experimental intervention or the control group (brief educational session). Participants were assessed prior to the intervention and again 1 month later on dieting behavior, body image, fear of fat, and anxiety concerning physical appearance. Although it was hypothesized that each of these variables would be lower in the experimental group, none of these results, except for a trend for decreased dieting, were found. Overall these results of slightly reduced dieting behavior are consistent with other research targeting primary and secondary prevention. This intervention's failure to impact body image and eating behaviors of college students illustrates the continuing challenge of eating disorders prevention

They’re Not “Abnormal” and We’re Not Making Them “Abnormal”: A Longitudinal Study

A course in abnormal psychology may attract students with psychopathology, negatively impact some students, or both. This longitudinal study investigated the selection hypothesis and the impact on undergraduates taking abnormal psychology. Participants completed measures assessing psychological distress, personality, concern about mental health, and willingness to seek help at the beginning and end of the semester. Neither preexisting differences nor changes in psychological symptoms occurred for abnormal psychology students relative to controls. We discuss results in relation to past findings and the potential effects of taking a course in abnormal psychology, most notably enhanced willingness to seek psychotherapy as a form of help

Retrospective Reports of Child Feeding Practices, Current Eating Behaviors, and BMI in College Students

Research concerning child feeding practices has focused on children and adolescents, and little is known about how feeding practices used in childhood relate to eating behaviors and weight status in early adulthood. We assessed college students’ and their parents’ retrospective reports of child feeding practices used when the students were in middle childhood. We also assessed the college students’ current reports of their eating behaviors using the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire (DEBQ) and the Intuitive Eating Scale (IES), and measured their current BMI. Results showed that college students’ and their parents’ reports about previous parental use of child feeding practices were not correlated. Parent reports of their own use of child feeding practices were more related to students’ eating behaviors and BMI than were students’ recollections about feeding practices used by their parents. An analysis of gender effects showed that there were positive correlations between parental child feeding practices, BMI, and emotional eating for female students. These relationships did not exist for male students. The results suggest that child feeding practices recollected by parents are linked to the development of emotional eating and weight status of women in early adulthood

Peer pressure to “Fat talk”: Does audience type influence how women portray their body image?

“Fat talk” describes women discussing their bodies disparagingly for impression management while interacting with one another. This study examined whether college females deliberately alter their self-reported body image according to characteristics of their prospective audience. This study was a mixed experimental design with four audience conditions (private, public, female audience, male audience) as the between-subjects factor and time across trials as the within-subjects factor using college females as participants (N = 100). Pre versus posttest changes on the Body Esteem Scale (BES) and the Body Weight Figure Assessment (BWFA) served as the dependent variables. It was hypothesized that body image would decrease to indicate self-derogation (fat talk) in the public audience and female audience conditions, whereas body image would increase in the male audience condition. These hypotheses were not supported using repeated measures ANOVA. Strengths and weaknesses of the study are discussed

Women And Cigarette Smoking: Does Amount Of Weight Gain Following A Failed Quit Attempt Affect Social Disapproval?

This study examined the perception of social attractiveness and approval of smoking in a vignette of an American college female smoker after a failed quit attempt. It was hypothesized that she would be perceived more favorably when she was smoking to control her weight, compared to a non-weight related excuse during a failed quit attempt. The design was a 2 (gender: male vs. female)×4 (condition: control, 5, 10, 20 lb gain)×3 (participants' smoking status: never, former, or current smoker) factorial design with the Social Attraction Index and Perception of Smoking Index as dependent variables. Contrary to the hypothesis, perceptions of the female were not affected by her disclosed amount of weight gain. However, consistent with the literature on stigmatization of smokers, smoking participants perceived the female target as most socially attractive and nonsmokers perceived her to be the least attractiv