Implications of Wearing a Fat Suit

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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This study examined how wearing a fat suit might lead individuals to experience the negative effects of weight based stigmatization, including psychological, behavioral, and physiological consequences. It also aimed to test using the fat suit as a possible intervention tactic to reduce weight stigma.

Detailed Description
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The goal of this study was to understand how embodying a stigmatized domain might elicit the same consequences investigators see in victims of weight stigma. Participants were randomly assigned to either manipulate their weight through wearing a fat suit prosthesis or to a control condition where they wore the same clothing that was on the fat suit but in their own size. Outcome variables were cortisol reactivity, psychological well-being, and food and drink consumption. Additionally, this study tested whether wearing the fat suit might serve as an effective weight stigma reduction effort.

Official Title
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Implications of Wearing a Fat Suit for Eating, Physiological Stress, and Psychological Well-Being

Conditions
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Feeding Behaviors

Intervention / Treatment
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* Other: Fat Suit
* Other: Control Condition


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Participants had to be registered in the UCLA Department of Psychology Subject Pool. Exclusion Criteria: No specific exclusion criteria.

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Basic Science
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Fat Suit Condition<br>Participants are randomly assigned to wear a fat suit and then walk across campus. | Other: Fat Suit<br>* Participants wear a fat suit.<br>|
| Other: Control Condition<br>Participants are randomly assigned to wear the same clothing that is on the fat suit but in their own size and then walk across campus. | Other: Control Condition<br>* Participants wear same clothing as intervention, but in their own size.<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Eating behavior measured via grams of food consumed | M&Ms, potato chips, and full-sugar soda consumption |  10-minutes post-manipulation | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Cortisol reactivity |  |  20 minutes post-manipulation | 
| Antifat Attitudes measured via electronic questionnaire |  |  30 minutes after post-manipulation | 
| Psychological Well-Being measured via electronic questionnaires |  |  15 minutes post-manipulation | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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Weight Stigma, Cortisol Reactivity, Eating Behavior