Over the last few decades, the prevalence of overweight and obesity has increased dramatically, with increased interest in the issue of stigmatization of overweight and obese people. The theoretical part of this thesis summarizes the existing knowledge in this area and describes the form of weight stigma in various areas of life - in the work area, in medical care and in the media. Foreign studies claim that weight stigma is not only present in these and other areas of life, but that it has various negative effects on the psyche and health of a stigmatized individual. Although research in this area is at an early stage, there is already evidence of a relationship of weight stigma and pathological eating behavior, affective disorders or negative body image. However, psychological intervention and therapy offer satisfactory tools to work with the stigmatization theme. The weight stigma is not a topic in the Czech Republic, despite its expanding abroad. The research carried out within the empirical part of the thesis is an initial attempt to map out the phenomenon of stigmatization of overweight and obese people in the Czech environment. For the purpose of the thesis, a questionnaire was drawn up and subsequently used in experimental design. The questionnaire investigated whether the assessment of...

Anorexia Nervosa (AN) is a severe and complex psychiatric disorder characterized by significantly low body weight, an intense fear of gaining weight, and a distorted body image. Despite otherwise successful treatments, body image distortions are often persistent and are considered a critical factor in the persistence, development, and relapse of AN. The present review outlines the current literature on tactile distance processing in AN to investigate and discuss its proposed role in the persistence and development of a distorted body image. The discussion of literature further discusses its implications for cognitive neuroscience since AN patients display similar symptoms as patients diagnosed with body image-related neuropsychiatric disorders with damage to the parietal lobe. The evidence suggests that individuals with AN have poorer tactile distance estimation than controls but do not differ regarding tactile detection. This review outlines the current literature, identifies gaps within the methodology, and proposes novel directions for future research.

The purpose of this study was to test a new theoretical model that integrates self-objectification, objectification of others, and social comparison as contributors to the development and maintenance of body image disturbance and disordered eating behavior. Within the new theoretical model, self-objectification, objectification of others, and social comparison are conceptualized as a self-perpetuating cycle, rather than as processes that occur independently of one another. Four hundred fifty-nine female college students between the ages of 18 and 32 completed measures of self-objectification, objectification of others, social comparison, body shame, body dissatisfaction, and eating disorder symptomatology. Structural equation modeling with nested model comparisons was used to examine the fit of the new theoretical model relative to less complex models which contain only relationships which have received previous attention in the research literature (e.g., the relationship between self-objectification and body shame). Results indicated that the new theoretical model demonstrates good fit for the data and that the fit of this model is significantly better than the original model suggested by the literature. Hierarchical multiple regression and mediational analyses also provided support for the interplay between objectification and social comparison. Implications for clinical work as well as theory and measurement will be discussed

Appearance-related commentary can be positive or negative. Such commentary has been shown to negatively affect the mental health and well-being of women in a well-documented body of research. There is limited research on this topic pertaining to males. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of appearance-related commentary in men. Results indicate that men who receive more negative commentary are more likely to experience eating pathology, body dissatisfaction, distress from commentary, and participate in compulsive exercising and appearancechange behaviors. However, men that receive positive commentary are likely to experience more positive outcomes, reporting less dissatisfaction and pathology but more appearance-change behaviors. It appears that men are affected by negative, appearance-related commentary in the same ways that women are, but that they experience positive commentary in a more direct and appropriate manner. Additionally, self-objectification, a covariate found to interact in similar relations with women, was not found to account for any of the variance between appearance-related feedback and outcomes.

The purpose of this study was to contribute to women’s healthy aging across the adult lifespan by empirically examining potential protective factors (e.g., empowerment and feminist attitudes) in maintaining positive body image, healthy eating behavior, and aging satisfaction. Objectification Theory (Fredrickson & Roberts, 1997) provided a theoretical framework for understanding the connections between sexual-objectification experiences, media influences, and self-objectification, and the resulting negative psychological consequences for women in Western society. This study was the first to examine empowerment in relation to Objectification Theory. Additionally, a developmental perspective was gained by using a diverse sample of young, middle-aged, and older women in the investigation of the impact of self-objectification on aging satisfaction. Results indicated that women of all ages were just as likely to report either body image satisfaction or body image dissatisfaction after accounting for BMI. However, younger women were more likely than older women to view their bodies as objects. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was performed utilizing Objectification Theory as a framework for predicting body image, eating behaviors, and aging satisfaction. Empowerment and feminist attitudes were not protective factors in promoting healthy eating behavior and positive thoughts related to body image and aging. The final structural model did, however, provide support for Objectification Theory and its proposed relationships between sexual-objectification experiences and the development of self-objectification and the negative consequences of self-objectification on a variety of health-related constructs. Long-term implications include incorporating this knowledge into empirically supported prevention and intervention programs aimed at reducing body image and eating disturbance and promoting healthy aging across the adult lifespan.

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University of Macau / Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities / Department of Communication

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / This thesis examined the body images of Black and White women at an urban university. Self perception of body image may be positive or negative, healthy or unhealthy, and may be influenced by various factors. Qualitative interviews were completed with eight Black and eight White non-Hispanic female college students. A common theme emerged regarding images of beautiful and ideal bodies. The women held similar standards of beauty for White and Black women with one exception: White women were expected to be thinner whereas Black women were expected to be heavier. In addition, the women were of a common mind with regard to the influence of men, fashion, and relationships with female family members on their body images. Racial differences emerged when the women discussed male perceptions of female bodies. Women of both races believed that racial and ethnic minority men were more accepting of women with diverse body types than were White men. Familial influences on body image included the mother-daughter relationship and a new finding of the sister-sister relationship. Finally, an emergent and unexpected finding centered on a woman's history of sexual and physical abuse. Each of the six women who experienced sexual or physical abuse reported some level of negative body imagery. These findings are discussed in the context of the existing body image literature and recommendations are made regarding directions for future research.

The purpose of this study was to examine how chronic renal failure or cancer patients felt about their bodies during treatment. The sample was comprised of 22 subjects; 10 hemodialysis, six continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD), and six chemotherapy patients. The settings included an outpatient dialysis center and an inpatient/outpatient chemotherapy treatment center. Two instruments, the Body Attitude Scale and the Body Cathexis Scale, were used to describe the patients' feelings about their bodies. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. A significant difference on the Body Cathexis Scale among the subjects indicated that the chemotherapy patients had the most positive body attitude. The implications of the study for nursing are related to how nurses can provide anticipatory guidance to their clients. Both cancer and renal failure treatment require significant adaptation by the client. Therefore, appropriate nursing interventions must be instituted.