The Effects of Negative Weight Perception

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How people perceive their weight can have both positive and negative effects. Unfortunately it is more common to have negative effects. Maria Miller (2014) explains in her article, “Rock More Confidence: Sexy is a state of mind. Allow us to explain.,” that having a low self-image is exceedingly damaging to oneself. It not only leads to weight gain but can also cause health problems. Others perceptions can also have a negative effect on an individual’s well being.
Perception can have a profound impact on a person’s overall state of being. Miller (2014) explains that degrading oneself “can actually alter your physical appearance” (p. 62). Perception often negatively affects people who are of average or normal weight. This is as a result of their perceived weight being heavier than their real weight. Miller (2014) continues by stating that a recent study showed, “normal-weight people who viewed themselves as fat were more likely to end up overweight” (p. 62). A theory that Miller (2014) suggests is that many women believe that it is either beneficial or non-damaging to undervalue oneself. In reality, Miller (2014) argues, having a poor body-image can impede “friendships, job prospects, and overall well-being” (p. 62). Many statements made in Miller’s article can be confirmed by various sources.
A journal article written by Markus H. Schafer and Kenneth F. Ferraro (2011), “The Stigma of Obesity: Does Perceived Weight Discrimination Affect Identity and Physical Health?,” corroborates many of Miller’s statements. The study lasted 10 years and examined “body weight, self-perceptions of weight status, perceived weight discrimination, and changes in health” (Schafer & Ferraro, 2011, p. 77). Schafer and Ferraro had three hypotheses. Th...

... middle of paper ...

...oose to interact only with persons who provide sufficient emotional support” (p. 142). Social and emotional needs are the basis of how people choose who surrounds them.

Works Cited

Carr, D., & Freidman, M. A. (June 2006). Body Weight and the Quality of
Interpersonal Relationships. Social Psychology Quarterly, 69(2), 127-149.
Frisco, M. L., Houle J. N., & Martin M. A. (June 2010). The Image in the
Mirror and the Number on the Scale: Weight, Weight Perceptions, and
Adolescent Depressive Symptoms. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 51(2), 215-228.
Miller, M. (2014, January/February). Rock More Confidence: Sexy is a state of mind. Allow us to explain. Women’s Health, 62.
Schafer, M. H., & Ferraro K. F. (March 2011). The Stigma of Obesity: Does
Perceived Weight Discrimination Affect Identity and Physical Health?. Social
Psychology Quarterly, 74(1), 76-97.

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