Implications of Wearing a Fat Suit

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Feeding Behaviors
• Interventions: Other: Control Condition; Other: Fat Suit

• Registration Number: NCT02745405
• Lead Sponsor: A. Janet Tomiyama

Brief Summary

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

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.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2014-04
• Primary Completion: 2014-12
• Study Completion: 2014-12
• Status Verified: 2016-04
• Study First Submitted: 2016-04-11
• Study First Submitted QC: 2016-04-15
• Last Update Submitted: 2016-04-15
• Study First Posted: 2016-04-20
• Last Update Posted: 2016-04-20

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 109

Inclusion Criteria

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

Exclusion Criteria

• No specific exclusion criteria.

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Control Condition	Control Condition	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.
Fat Suit Condition	Fat Suit	Participants are randomly assigned to wear a fat suit and then walk across campus.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Eating behavior measured via grams of food consumed	~10-minutes post-manipulation	M\&Ms, potato chips, and full-sugar soda consumption

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
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