Perceived Weight Discrimination Predicts Exercise and Unhealthy Food Frequency among White but not Latina Women.

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Often issues of weight stigma are examined among White women. Given this it is uncertain if ethnic minority women will demonstrate similar responses to White women. In the current study we examine how perceptions of weight discrimination relate to exercise goals, self-reported exercise, and selfreported consumption of unhealthy food. A sample of undergraduate students was collected as part of a larger project on student health and well-being. Perceived weight discrimination was positively related to exercise goals (b=.35, p=.01) but negatively related to exercise behavior (b=-.36, p=.03) among White women. Additionally, among White women, perceived weight discrimination was related to increase self-reported consumption of unhealthy foods (b=.20, p=.001). None of these relationships however emerged among Latina women (p>.63). This data is important as it suggest that greater research examining possible racial/ethnic differences in the impact of experiences of weight discrimination among women.