Average rating
Cast your vote
You can rate an item by clicking the amount of stars they wish to award to this item.
When enough users have cast their vote on this item, the average rating will also be shown.
Star rating
Your vote was cast
Thank you for your feedback
Thank you for your feedback
Author
Pollock, Jaelyn N.Readers/Advisors
Peretz-Lange, RebeccaTerm and Year
Spring 2022Date Published
2022
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Obesity stigma affects around 650 million people worldwide, impacting their quality of life at work, at school, in healthcare settings, and in their personal relationships. Where does this stigma come from? Although social psychologists have argued that social norms, culturally specific beauty standards, and media messages are to blame for obesity stigma, I argue that evolutionary mechanisms are also partly responsible. In this theoretical review, I discuss how three evolutionary mechanisms may foster disgust reactions to obesity: (1) moral disgust (toward those who are viewed as working "less hard" or "free-riding"), (2) pathogen disgust (toward those who appear diseased or unwell), and (3) sexual disgust (toward those who are viewed as having greater reproductive risks). I ultimately propose that we may all have the innate capacity to feel disgusted under these 3 domains, but what exactly we may find disgusting is subjective to one's environment. By understanding the evolutionary mechanisms underlying obesity stigma, and the cultural cues that trigger these mechanisms, we are better equipped to alter our perceptions of those with obesity and build a more inclusive society.Accessibility Statement
Purchase College - State University of New York (PC) is committed to ensuring that people with disabilities have an opportunity equal to that of their nondisabled peers to participate in the College's programs, benefits, and services, including those delivered through electronic and information technology. If you encounter an access barrier with a specific item and have a remediation request, please contact lib.ir@purchase.edu.Collections