Implicit and explicit anti-fat bias among Asian females

Obesity is not only associated with an increased risk of numerous health problems, but also with high rates of stigmatization and weight-related bias. Anti-fat attitudes have been shown to be prevalent in Western samples; however, there is a lack of studies investigating both implicit and explicit anti-fat bias in Asian populations. There is also limited research investigating the relationship between anti-fat attitudes and weight-related behavioral intentions. Thus, this study aimed to examine anti-fat bias and its effect on behavioral intentions using three types of measures—implicit, explicit, and a revised behavioral intention measure—in a sample of 104 Asian females in Singapore. Significant differences were found between implicit and explicit bias: on average, participants exhibited strong implicit but no explicit anti-fat bias ( p