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Stereotypes Can “Get Under the Skin”: Testing a Self‐Stereotyping and Psychological Resource Model of Overweight and Obesity
Author(s) -
Rivera Luis M.,
Paredez Stefanie M.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
journal of social issues
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.618
H-Index - 122
eISSN - 1540-4560
pISSN - 0022-4537
DOI - 10.1111/josi.12057
Subject(s) - overweight , psychology , mediation , social psychology , body mass index , obesity , ethnic group , personality , self esteem , clinical psychology , developmental psychology , medicine , pathology , sociology , political science , anthropology , law
The authors draw upon social, personality, and health psychology to propose and test a self‐stereotyping and psychological resource model of overweight and obesity. The model contends that self‐stereotyping depletes psychological resources, namely self‐esteem, that help to prevent overweight and obesity. In support of the model, mediation analysis demonstrates that adult Hispanics who highly self‐stereotype had lower levels of self‐esteem than those who self‐stereotype less, which in turn predicted higher levels of body mass index (overweight and obesity levels). Furthermore, the model did not hold for the referent sample, White participants, and an alternative mediation model was not supported. These data are the first to theoretically and empirically link self‐stereotyping and self‐esteem (a psychological resource) with a strong physiological risk factor for morbidity and short life expectancy in stigmatized individuals. Thus, this research contributes to understanding ethnic‐racial health disparities in the United States and beyond.