Examining the effects of implicit and internalized weight bias on physical activity cognitions for women in larger bodies

Internalized weight bias occurs when negative perceptions about people in larger bodies are attributed to the self. Women in larger bodies frequently experience and internalize weight bias, which can negatively impact physical activity outcomes. Dual process models suggest that information, like experiences of weight stigma, are processed at two levels: associative and propositional. The purpose of this study was to examine whether internalized weight bias measured at the associative and propositional levels was significantly associated with the tendency to avoid physical activity, the expectation of experiencing weight stigma, and self-regulatory efficacy. Participants (n = 154) were over 18, had a BMI over 25, and self-identified as a woman living in a larger body. Implicit weight bias was measured using a single-category implicit association task, while other variables were measured using validated survey measures. Hierarchical multiple regressions were conducted (step 1: covariates; step 2: implicit weight bias [associative]; step 3: internalized weight bias [propositional]). Both implicit (b = -.285, CI: .13,.44) and internalized weight bias (b = -.205, CI: -.37,-.05) were negatively associated with self-regulatory efficacy in step 3. Contrarily, implicit weight bias was significantly associated with the expectation of experiencing weight stigma (b = .203, CI: -.17,.05) and the tendency to avoid physical activity (b = .148, CI: -.18, 07) in step 2, but became non-significant when internalized weight bias was added in step 3 (b = .737, CI: .62,.85; b = .453, CI: .33,.58). Implicit and internalized weight bias were both associated with physical activity related cognitions. Findings provide insight into factors at the associative and propositional level that may dissuade physical activity participation for women in larger bodies.