Differences in fat bias and body image perception among African American college students

Background: Overweight and obesity are epidemic in the United States, particularly among minority populations. Overweight or “being big” is accepted among many African Americans. Consequently, preventing obesity in order to reduce obesity comorbidities requires a better understanding of community level factors contributing to overweight in young adulthood. The purpose of this investigation was to identify differences in fat acceptance and body image perception among African American college students. Methods: 229 African American college-aged males and females participated in a survey in 2010. The Universal Measure of Bias of Fat (UMBFAT) that has four subscales (negative judgment, distance, attraction, and equal rights) was used. To compute a body-image discrepancy score, participants were asked to provide their height and weight and to select a silhouette from the Figure Rating Scale that represented their current body image. Results: Females were more likely to negatively judge fat people (adjusted odds ratio = 2.44, 95% CI = 1.37, 4.32) than their male counterparts. Both males (p = .013) and females (p = .002) perceived themselves as thinner than their current size measured by body mass index (BMI). In comparison with participants with normal weight, those with above normal weight were more likely to perceive themselves as thinner than their current size (odds ratio = 3.00, 95% CI = 1.68, 5.35). Conclusions: This study provides important insights into interventions reducing weight bias and into educational efforts helping African American college students understand the risks associated with perceiving themselves as thinner.