The impact of weight and race on perceptions of anorexia nervosa: a replication and extension of Varnado-Sullivan et al. (2020).

Abstract

Purpose: This study examined how weight and race impact mental health stigma, weight stigma, perceived need for treatment, and perceived severity of anorexia nervosa We experimentally manipulated weight and race, replicating and extending Varnado-Sullivan et al. (Eat Weight Disord 25:601-608, 2020).

Methods: 336 participants were recruited from Prolific. Participants self-reported pre-existing exposure to and attitudes regarding mental illness. Participants were randomly assigned to read an anorexia nervosa vignette that manipulated race (White or Black) and weight ("underweight" or "obese"). Participants self-reported attitudes about the woman in the vignette (mental health stigma), weight stigma, and perceived need for treatment and severity of the condition (mental health literacy). We hypothesized that greater mental health stigma, weight stigma, and lower mental health literacy would be present for Black and higher-weight vignettes, controlling for covariates.

Results: Analyses found that only vignette weight significantly predicted mental health stigma, mental health literacy, and weight stigma; vignette race did not significantly predict mental health stigma, mental health literacy, or weight stigma. A significant Race x Weight interaction predicted weight stigma and two mental health stigma items.

Conclusion: Replicating and extending Varnado-Sullivan et al. (Varnado-Sullivan et al. in Eat Weight Disord 25:601-608, 2020), we found weight-based bias for those with eating disorders, with some interactions between weight and race on weight stigma.