*Psychological Science* has scheduled an article for publication in a future issue: Obesity Is a Disease Examining the Self-Regulatory Impact of This Public-Health Message. The authors are Crystal L. Hoyt1,2 Jeni L. Burnette2 , & Lisa Auster-Gussman3. PLEASE NOTE: As usual, Ill include both the authors email address (for requesting electronic reprints) and a link to the complete article at the end below. Heres how the article begins: [begin excerpt] The American Medical Association, a leading voice in medical, policy, and health regulations, formally recognized obesity as a disease in June 2013. In addition to commanding more funding for the research, prevention, and treatment of obesity, weight-related public-health messages should also encourage obese individuals to value their health, engage in healthier behavior, and ultimately lose weight (Cameron & Leventhal, 2003). Furthermore, public-health messages that focus on obesity as a disease should increase body satisfaction by emphasizing the physiological triggers of weight gain, which can, in turn, reduce stigma and personal blame (Crandall, 1994; Monterosso, Royzman, & Schwartz, 2005). However, despite probable benefits, we suggest that the obesity is a disease message may also undermine important weight-management efforts. The term disease suggests that bodies, physiology, and genes are malfunctioning. By invoking physiological explanations for obesity, the disease label encourages the perception that weight is unchangeable. Across domains, research has shown that physiological factors are ascribed lower levels of controllability relative to situational or behavioral factors (Dar-Nimrod & Heine, 2006; Monterosso et al., 2005; Plaks, Malahy, Sedlins, & Shoda, 2012). These immutable descriptions make self-regulatory efforts seem futile and failure inevitable, which results in feelings of hopelessness and ultimately disengagement from ones attempts to regulate behavior (Carver & Scheier, 2011; Finlay-Jones & Brown, 1981). Thus, the message that obesity is a disease may undermine important psychological determinants of salubrious behaviors for obese individuals--the very people these public-health messages are targeting (Teixeira, Mata, Williams, Gorin, & Lemieux, 2012). We predicted that the disease message, relative to a standard weight-management message or a message that obesity is not a disease, would undercut the importance that obese individuals place on dieting to improve their health and would undermine their concern for their weight. In addition, this reduced concern would predict less healthy food choices (i.e., selection of higher calorie food). We also investigated whether the disease message, with its focus on physiological explanations, improves body satisfaction (e.g., Crandall, 1994) but whether such increases have costs. For obese individuals, mild or moderate body dissatisfaction can serve as a motivator to reduce consumption. Indeed, some research illustrates that such body-image concerns are a stronger motivating force than health concerns for engaging in healthy behaviors (e.g., McDonald & Thompson, 1992). In summary, we examined whether the message that obesity is a disease alters crucial psychological processes (i.e., concern about weight, body image) underlying obese individuals motivation to engage in healthy behaviors (i.e., choosing lower-calorie foods). [end excerpt] Heres how the Discussion section starts: [begin excerpt] This research illuminates the potential benefits and hidden costs associated with the message that obesity is a disease by showing that this message cultivates increased body satisfaction but also undermines beneficial self-regulatory processes in obese individuals. A disease-based, relative to an information-based, public-health message reduced the importance placed on health-focused dieting and concern for weight, and it predict-ed less healthy food choices (i.e., selection of food containing more calories) for individuals with higher BMIs. Furthermore, a disease message, relative to a not-disease message, increased body satisfaction, which also predicted less healthy food choices for individuals with higher BMIs. It is these very people whom weight-related, public-health messages are targeting, because even modest weight loss in obese individuals can have lasting health and economic benefits (Oster, Thompson, Edelsberg, Bird, & Colditz, 1999). [end excerpt] Heres how the article concludes: We are not advocating that the thin ideal that pervades Western culture is an admirable goal, nor that internalizing these unhealthy standards is a worthwhile strategy. In addition, we agree that the acceptance of diverse body sizes is laudable, as is the goal to increase medical treatment for obese individuals--themes that emerge in the argument in support of obesity as a disease. Furthermore, the positive effects of reducing stigma for goal engagement and attainment have substantial empirical support in social psychology more generally (e.g., Major & OBrien, 2005) and within a weight-management context more specifically (Puhl & Heuer, 2010). Recognizing that there are potential benefits to labeling obesity as a disease, we conclude by noting that the aim of the current work was to (a) highlight some of the hidden self-regulatory costs of this public-health message and (b) inspire additional empirical inquiry in order to aid more scientifically informed decisions about both the costs and benefits of an obesity is a disease message. Author contact info for reprint requests: Crystal L. Hoyt, University of Richmond, Jepson School of Leadership Studies, 28 Westhampton Way, Jepson Hall, Richmond, VA 23173 E-mail: [email protected] The article is online at: Ken Pope RESOURCES FOR NURSING HOMES, HOSPICES, IN-HOME HOSPICE, LIVING WILLS, ADVANCE DIRECTIVES, & END-OF-LIFE ISSUES: May I become at all times, both now and forever, a protector for those without protection a guide for those who have lost their way a ship for those with oceans to cross a bridge for those with rivers to cross a sanctuary for those in danger a lamp for those who need light a place of refuge for those needing shelter and a servant to all those in need. --Shantideva, 8th Century Buddhist at Nalanda University in Bihar, India
Posted on: Wed, 29 Jan 2014 18:13:58 +0000
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