Trajectories of body mass and self-concept in black and white girls: the lingering effects of stigma.

Pubmed ID: 22382717

Journal: Journal of health and social behavior

Publication Date: March 1, 2012

MeSH Terms: Humans, Female, United States, Longitudinal Studies, Body Mass Index, Child, Obesity, Time Factors, Self Concept, Psychometrics, Women's Health, Statistics as Topic, Prejudice, Body Image, Mental Health, Social Stigma, White People, Black or African American

Authors: Mustillo SA, Hendrix KL, Schafer MH

Cite As: Mustillo SA, Hendrix KL, Schafer MH. Trajectories of body mass and self-concept in black and white girls: the lingering effects of stigma. J Health Soc Behav 2012 Mar;53(1):2-16.

Studies:

Abstract

As a stigmatizing condition, obesity may lead to the internalization of devalued labels and threats to self-concept. Modified labeling theory suggests that the effects of stigma may outlive direct manifestations of the discredited characteristic itself. This article considers whether obesity's effects on self-concept linger when obese youth enter the normal body mass range. Using longitudinal data from the National Growth and Health Study on 2,206 black and white girls, we estimated a parallel-process growth mixture model of body mass linked to growth models of body image discrepancy and self-esteem. We found that discrepancy was higher and self-esteem lower in formerly obese girls compared to girls always in the normal range and comparable to chronically obese girls. Neither body image discrepancy nor self-esteem rebounded in white girls despite reduction in body mass, suggesting that the effects of stigma linger. Self-esteem, but not discrepancy, did rebound in black girls.