Janet D Latner

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa | UH Manoa · Department of Psychology

Objective: This study describes the development, content validity, and convergent validity of the Loss of Control over Eating Scale (LOCES). Method: An initial pool of 56 items covering 13 facets of loss-of-control eating was assembled by reviewing qualitative literature, clinical descriptions, and research on binge eating. Eating disorder exper...

Successful weight maintenance after weight loss is exceedingly rare. The present study aimed to identify psychological predictors of lapses and weight maintenance. Self-efficacy, coping, and perceptions of lapses were examined as potential predictors of lapse frequency and weight maintenance (percentage weight loss maintained). Participants include...

To compare the strength of weight bias to other common biases, and to develop a psychometrically sound measure to assess and compare bias against different targets. A total of 368 university students (75.4% women, 47.6% white, mean age: 21.53 years, mean body mass index (BMI): 23.01 kg/m(2)). A measure was developed to assess bias against different...

Background Weight stigma is an issue often studied in Western countries; however, such information is scarce in Asian studies. Methods This study aimed to examine the role of internalized weight stigma as a mediator in the relationship between perceived weight stigma and changes in body mass index (BMI). The data were collected through a longitudi...

Body dissatisfaction rates continue to remain high, and the consequences remain dire, especially among young women. Traditional media literacy interventions have found success in addressing body image-related constructs, though they are limited in their reach and are often quickly outdated. This study was designed to examine the feasibility and acc...

Objective: To test the long-term effects of a group-based, psychological intervention designed to reduce internalized weight stigma (IWS, i.e., self-stigma), delivered in combination with behavioral weight loss (BWL) treatment, compared to BWL alone. Method: Adults with obesity who had experienced and IWS (N = 105, Mage = 49 years, 90.5% women,...

Objectives: The psychosocial factors affecting physical activity (PA) and sport participation are not well understood but need to be to gain the psychological benefits of PA and sport. In this study, we sought to establish the relationship between weight stigmatization, the tendency to avoid, or participate in and/or enjoy PA and sport, and psychol...

Background Worldwide, 60% of people use social media. Excessive and/or addictive use of social media termed “problematic social media use”, has been reported to negatively influence psychological and physiological health. Therefore, we proposed an illustrated model to investigate the associations between social media addiction, psychological distre...

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, physical inactivity and sedentary behaviors (i.e., longer sitting time and excessive gaming) increased because governments across the globe adopted stringent mitigation strategies such as social distancing and lockdowns to curb the spread of the virus. Excessive gaming was one of the coping mechanisms used...

Participation in sport and physical activity (PA) is declining, and the psychosocial factors underpinning avoidance of these activities are not understood. This study developed and tested a new measure assessing the tendency to avoid PA and sport because of weight stigma and appearance-related concerns. University students (n = 581, mean age = 19.8...

The previous studies found that the Weight Self Stigma Questionnaire (WSSQ) and Perceived Weight Stigma Scale (PWSS) have shown well-established psychometric properties for measuring weight stigma with strong reliability and validity from different languages. However, there is a lack of an appropriate instrument in assessing weight stigma in Thai s...

Background The loss of control over eating (LOCE) is frequently cited as a core process of eating disturbances. In contrast, mindful eating and intuitive eating have been identified as adaptive styles of eating and have been associated with positive psychological constructs. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate whether mindful or intui...

Internalized weight bias is associated with body image disturbances and the development of disordered eating. The association between weight bias internalization and body dissatisfaction has proven difficult to disrupt. In order to develop more effective interventions, we must identify the behavioral targets which account for this robust associatio...

Background This study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the Weight Self-Stigma Questionnaire (WSSQ) and Perceived Weight Stigma Scale (PWS) among Malaysian university students. Methods University students who were studying in a Malaysia university with a mean age of 24.0 years (n = 380; females 71.6%) were recruited through convenien...

Background The study aimed to examine the association between perceived weight stigma (PWS), weight status, and eating disturbances. We hypothesized that PWS would partially mediate the association between weight status and eating disturbances among university students. Methods The study involved 705 undergraduate students (379 females and 326 mal...

Eating disorders (EDs) are associated with high levels of distress, functional impairment, and morbidity. Perfectionism has been consistently identified as an important factor in the etiology and maintenance of disordered eating, and as a promising target for treatment efforts. To address the detrimental effects of perfectionism on disordered eatin...

The present study examined data from a randomized controlled trial exploring whether behavioral weight loss treatment was associated with changes in internalized weight bias. The relationship between internalized weight bias and psychological functioning was also assessed. Participants were 106 men and women with overweight or obesity enrolled in a...

Objectives: Our objective in this study was to establish the relationships among active and inactive physical activity, HRQoL, and weight stigma in children. Additionally, we investigated weight stigma as a mediator of the relationship between physical activity and HRQoL.Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Hong Kong (June 2017-July...

Participation in physical activity and sport is on the decline and there is a poor understanding of the psychosocial factors that contribute to people’s reluctance to participate. We examined whether there were relationships between factors such as weight stigma, weight bias internalization, appearance evaluation, and fears of negative appearance e...

Prior research has demonstrated that individuals with a higher body weight (i.e., obesity) have a relatively high incidence of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) (e.g., abuse, neglect). Individuals with obesity are also susceptible to experiencing and internalizing weight stigma. Negative physical and mental health consequences have been associat...

Background: Social distancing and school suspension due to the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) may have a negative impact on children's behavior and well-being. Problematic smartphone use (PSU), problematic social media use (PSMU) and perceived weight stigma (PWS) are particularly important issues for children, yet we have a poor understanding of h...

Background: The outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has generated negative effects on psychological well-being worldwide, including in schoolchildren. Government requirements to stay at home and avoid social and school settings may impact psychological well-being by modifying various behaviors such as problematic phone and...

The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, and its resulting social policy changes may result in psychological distress among schoolchildren with overweight. This study thus aimed to (1) compare psychological distress (including fear of COVID-19 infection, stress, anxiety, and depression), perceived weight stigma, and problematic inter...

Background/Objective: The Loss of Control over Eating Scale (LOCES) and its brief version are well-developed instruments providing comprehensive assessments of LOC eating. The present study aimed at translating the LOCES and its brief version into Chinese and evaluating their psychometric properties. Methods: Following standard procedures, the Eng...

Objective: The current study aimed to compare endorsement of the muscular- and thin-ideals alone, as well as simultaneous endorsement of both as representative of the fit-ideal and examine potential negative correlates of each type of ideal internalization. Participants: Participants were 300 female undergraduate students. Methods: Participants com...

Purpose Previous research has found that fear of fat, or the fear of gaining weight, is fairly common within both normative and clinical populations. Similarly, weight bias, or biased attitudes directed at obese individuals, has been found across multiple segments of society. A common link shared between fear of fat and weight bias is the inherent...

Background As rates of obesity continue to rise in the USA, there is a need for effective treatments for excess adiposity. Behavioral weight-loss interventions can produce clinically meaningful weight reduction through life-style modifications. However, few studies have evaluated the effectiveness of high-intensity behavioral weight-loss interventi...

Objective: The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, and its resulting social policy changes, may result in psychological distress among schoolchildren with overweight. This study thus aimed to (1) compare psychological distress (including fear of COVID-19 infection, stress, anxiety, and depression), perceived weight stigma, and probl...

This study developed and examined a brief dissonance-based non-dieting intervention designed to help college women reject unhealthy dieting behaviors, accept their bodies, and increase healthy eating. Participants included 94 female university students (mean age = 20.6 years; mean BMI = 23.8 kg/m2), randomly assigned either to the non-dieting inter...

Purpose This study aimed to examine the relationships between perceived weight stigma, eating disturbances, and emotional distress across individuals with different self-perceived weight status. Methods University students from Hong Kong (n = 400) and Taiwan (n = 307) participated in this study and completed several questionnaires: Perceived Weigh...

Internalized weight bias has been linked with undesirable physical and psychological health outcomes, including disordered eating. Interventions have targeted internalized weight bias and associated outcomes, but little is known about underlying mechanisms of change. Existing treatment literature suggests that drive for thinness and body image avoi...

There is increasing scientific and public support for the notion that some foods may be addictive, and that poor weight control and obesity may, for some people, stem from having a food addiction. However, it remains unclear how a food addiction model (FAM) explanation for obesity and weight control will affect weight stigma. In two experiments (N...

Objectives: This prospective study investigated the link between weight-related self-stigma and binge eating by (a) examining the temporal association between weight-related self-stigma and binge eating; (b) investigating the mediating role of food addiction in the association between weight-related self-stigma and binge eating; and (c) examining...

Background: Understanding the knowledge and beliefs of key stakeholders is crucial in developing effective public health interventions. Knowledge and beliefs about obesity and eating disorders (EDs) have rarely been considered, despite increasing awareness of the need for integrated health promotion programs. We investigated key aspects of knowled...

Background: The psychosocial consequences of obesity are important but often underrated. The Attitudes Toward Obese Persons (ATOP) and Beliefs About Obese Persons (BAOP) scales used to measure weight-related bias have little psychometric information, especially in East Asian contexts. The objective of this study was to use rigorous statistical met...

Purpose We examined the relative importance of body dissatisfaction (BD) and internalized weight bias (IWB) in accounting for variance in quality of life (QoL) impairment in an ethnically diverse sample of college students (n = 630) and potential moderation of these associations by sex. Methods Participants completed an online survey that included...

Body dissatisfaction (BD) is a common experience among preadolescent girls and a robust risk factor and precursor to eating pathology (EP). Although the relationship between BD and EP has been well documented, there is less research exploring the factors that may make this relationship more or less pronounced. In the current study, we investigated...

Background/Objective Given the negative consequences of weight bias, including internalized weight stigma, on health outcomes, two instruments—the Weight Self-Stigma Questionnaire (WSSQ) and Weight Bias Internalization Scale (WBIS)—have been developed. However, their psychometric properties are yet to be tested for Asian pediatric populations. Meth...

Objective: To assess the effects of social media consumption on body dissatisfaction and negative affect using ecological momentary assessment, a method of assessment over time in the participants' naturalistic environment. Participants: Woman college students (N = 30) from a large public university participated in the study in Fall 2015. Metho...

This chapter aims to provide guidance on resisting weight stigma from societal and individual perspectives. It begins with an overview of weight stigma and internalized weight stigma. As an important next step, it proposes societal-level solutions for lowering weight stigma, particularly within the health and educational fields. It details the ways...

Although high body mass index (BMI) alone does not invariably lead to body dissatisfaction (BD) and BD alone does not invariably lead to eating pathology (EP), research has suggested that there are clear relationships between each predictor and its respective criterion. We have a limited understanding of the factors that explain why some women at h...

Background Eating disorders (EDs) and their subclinical variants are important health concerns for adolescent girls, and body dissatisfaction is a more common yet often debilitating experience that typically precedes the development of an ED. Despite this fact, little is known about what makes girls who are dissatisfied with their bodies more likel...

The present cross-sectional study examined whether mindfulness moderated the association between eating disorder cognition and eating disorder behaviors among Asian American, Black American, and White American female college students in the United States. Participants (N = 463, age range = 18-25 years) completed self-report measures online. Results...

The present study explored the perceived sexual orientation of hypothetical men and women with various eating disorders and obesity. Undergraduates were randomly provided with one vignette describing a male or female with anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), binge-eating disorder, or obesity and asked about the target’s likely sexual orient...

Although self-concealment has been long recognized in the context of body image disturbance and disordered eating concerns, empirical evidence remains limited. Following cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) models of disordered eating and body image concerns, the present cross-sectional study examined whether the construct of self-concealment was rel...

Eating problems or irregularities are common among children and adolescents. When the problems reach the point of being gross disturbances in eating behavior and when accompanied by some form of body image disturbance, we enter the realm of the eating disorders (EDs). The current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5; America...

The original, theoretically derived factor structure of the Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire (EDE-Q) has received limited empirical support and there is no consensus on an appropriate alternative. Moreover, there is a paucity of data on the factor structure of the EDE-Q across sexes. The goals of the current study were to evaluate models o...

Objective: To examine the associations between body image (actual and self-perceived weight status; feelings about appearance) and health outcomes (overall health, life satisfaction, and mental health) and between body image and experiences of being bullied. Methods: Participants included 8,303 children from 7th to 10th grade in the Health Behav...

Given rising technology use across all demographic groups, digital interventions offer a potential strategy for increasing access to health information and care. Research is lacking on identifying individual differences that impact willingness to use digital interventions, which may affect patient engagement. Health locus of control, the amount of...

Purpose: This study examined whether gender moderates the associations between eating disorder features and quality-of-life impairment and whether eating disorder features can explain gender differences in quality of life in a sample of undergraduate students. Methods: The SF-12 Physical and Mental Component Summary Scales were used to measure h...

Purpose: To explore the psychological impact of weight labels. Design: A double-blind experiment that randomly informed participants that they were "normal weight" or "overweight." Setting: Public university in Honolulu, Hawai'i. Participants: Normal-weight and overweight female undergraduates (N = 113). Measures: The Body Image States Sca...

The Consumer Attitudes towards Evidence Based Services (CAEBS) scale is a 29-item questionnaire designed to assess public views on the role of science in helping to guide mental health treatment. The aim of the current study was to assess the Factor structure the CAEBS in an online sample of adults seeking information about mental health services....

Cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) is the recommended treatment for binge eating, yet many individuals do not recover, and innovative new treatments have been called for. The current study compares traditional CBT with two augmented versions of CBT; schema therapy, which focuses on early life experiences as pivotal in the history of the eating dis...

Research has shown that non-clinical women, particularly those with high body concern, engage in frequent body checking behaviors. The purpose of this study was to use ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to examine the frequency and correlates of body checking behavior, including its association with body image dissatisfaction and negative affect...

Asian American women experience sociocultural pressures that could place them at increased risk for experiencing body and face dissatisfaction. Asian American and White women completed measures of appearance evaluation, overweight preoccupation, face satisfaction, face dissatisfaction frequency, perfectionism, surveillance, interdependent and indep...

Obese individuals face weight-based stigmatization and discrimination in virtually all areas of life. These stigmatizing experiences can lead to detrimental psychological, physical, and societal consequences and may further perpetuate the increasing prevalence of obesity. A. J. Stunkard was one of the first medical professionals to identify and add...

Weight stigma is associated with a range of negative outcomes, including disordered eating, but the psychological mechanisms underlying these associations are not well understood. The present study tested whether the association between weight stigma experiences and disordered eating behaviors (emotional eating, uncontrolled eating, and loss-of-con...

Background Loss of control over eating is a key feature of the most prevalent eating disorders. The Loss of Control over Eating Scale (LOCES) enables a thorough assessment of loss of control over eating. Objective This study empirically evaluated the translation of the LOCES from English to Brazilian Portuguese. Methods The scale was translated t...

Internalized weight bias has been previously associated with impairments in eating behaviors, body image, and psychological functioning. The present study explored the psychological correlates and psychometric properties of the Weight Bias Internalization Scale (WBIS) among overweight adults enrolled in a behavioral weight loss program. Questionnai...

Context: People viewed as "overweight" or "obese" are vulnerable to weight-based discrimination, creating inequities and adverse health outcomes. Given the high rates of obesity recorded globally, studies documenting weight discrimination in multiple countries, and an absence of legislation to address this form of discrimination, research examinin...

No cross-national studies have examined public perceptions about weight-based bullying in youth. To conduct a multinational examination of public views about (i) the prevalence/seriousness of weight-based bullying in youth; (ii) the role of parents, educators, health providers and government in addressing this problem and (iii) implementing policy...

This pilot study investigated the feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of a peer-led dissonance-based eating disorders (ED) prevention/risk factor reduction program with high school girls. Ninth grade girls (n = 50) received the peer-led program within the school curriculum. A quasi-experimental design was used to assess changes in ED risk...

As rates of obesity have increased throughout much of the world, so too have bias and prejudice toward people with higher body weight (i.e., weight bias). Despite considerable evidence of weight bias in the United States, little work has examined its extent and antecedents across different nations. The present study conducted a multi-national exami...

Often overlooked explanations for the varied obesity rates across ethno-cultural groups include differences in attitudes toward excess weight, with certain populations assumed to have larger ideal body sizes (IBS). Past studies found ethnic and gender difference in IBS across and within different groups. This study examined the effects of ethnicity...

Objective We examined the relative importance of physical health status, weight/shape concerns, and binge eating as mediators of the association between obesity and psychosocial impairment in a community sample of women and men.Method Self-report measures of eating disorder features, perceived physical health and psychosocial functioning were compl...