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A little acceptance is good for your health: Interpersonal messages and weight change over time
Author(s) -
LOGEL CHRISTINE,
STINSON DANU ANTHONY,
GUNN GREGORY R.,
WOOD JOANNE V.,
HOLMES JOHN G.,
CAMERON JESSICA J.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
personal relationships
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.81
H-Index - 83
eISSN - 1475-6811
pISSN - 1350-4126
DOI - 10.1111/pere.12050
Subject(s) - psychology , weight gain , interpersonal communication , weight change , body mass index , weight loss , body weight , data collection , social psychology , developmental psychology , obesity , medicine , statistics , mathematics , pathology
This research examines whether acceptance messages from close others about one's weight predict changes in stressful weight concern and body mass index (BMI) over time. Participants reported weight concern and BMI in three waves of data collection spanning approximately 9 months, and reported the messages they received from parents, friends, and romantic partners concerning their weight in the second wave of data collection. Participants normatively gained weight during the study period. But for vulnerable women, those initially high in weight concern, receiving fewer acceptance messages about weight was associated with weight gain, whereas receiving more acceptance messages was associated with decreases in stressful weight concern and weight maintenance, or even loss, over time. Alternative predictors, mechanisms, and models were also tested.