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Topic

The Paradox of Fat Embodiment

Department of Psychology

Date & location

• Tuesday, April 15, 2025

• 12:00 P.M.

• Clearihue Building, Room B021

• And Virtual Defence

Reviewers

Supervisory Committee

• Dr. Danu Stinson, Department of Psychology, University of Victoria (Supervisor)

• Dr. Eric Woodin, Department of Psychology, UVic (Member)

• Dr. Sarah Nutter, Department of Educational Psychology and Leadership Studies, UVic(Outside Member) 

External Examiner

• Dr. Jeffrey Hunger, Department of Psychology, Miami University 

Chair of Oral Examination

• Dr. Kate Jackson, Department of Physics and Astronomy, UVic 

Abstract

Fat people frequently and regularly face discrimination due to weight stigma, which can result in a stigmatized or spoiled identity, and can ultimately result in psychological distress. This dissertation examined the ways in which public weight stigma might result in psychological distress, and the activities fat people are engaged in that help mitigate these processes. Data was collected from students at the University of Victoria and from fat people who were engaged with fat liberation-focused social media. Results showed that public weight stigma was associated with increased internalized weight stigma, which in turn was associated with lowered embodiment, which was in turn associated with increased psychological distress. The research also found that both positive physical engagement and understanding of societal weight bias and its impacts on fat people helped to attenuate these pathways. These findings indicate the need for societal shifts in weight-based discrimination, as well as potential avenues for individual and group-based interventions. A number of considerations for measurement of various constructs were also explored.