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Pre-school children's attitudes to fat and normal male and female stimulus figures

International Journal of Obesity volume 24, pages 1705–1706 (2000)Cite this article

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To investigate gender differences in attitudes to obesity in pre-school children.

DESIGN: Evaluation of gender differences in judgements of stimulus figures varying in body shape and gender.

SUBJECTS: Twenty-five children aged 2–5 y, 12 boys and 13 girls.

MEASURES: Forced-choice ascriptions of personal, social and behavioural traits to normal and obese male and female dolls.

RESULTS: Children ascribed more negative characteristics than positive ones to fat figures than to normal figures, and more to fat female than to fat male figures.

CONCLUSION: Children can demonstrate prejudiced behaviour towards obesity at earlier ages than previously thought.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Queen Margaret University College, Clerwood Terrace, Edinburgh, UK

    J Dunkeld Turnbull

  2. Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK

    S Heaslip & HA McLeod

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  1. J Dunkeld Turnbull
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  2. S Heaslip
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  3. HA McLeod
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Correspondence to J Dunkeld Turnbull.

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Dunkeld Turnbull, J., Heaslip, S. & McLeod, H. Pre-school children's attitudes to fat and normal male and female stimulus figures. Int J Obes 24, 1705–1706 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0801462

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0801462

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