Implications of Wearing a Fat Suit

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

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.

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.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Participants had to be registered in the UCLA Department of Psychology Subject Pool.

Exclusion Criteria:

• No specific exclusion criteria.