Body Mass Index and Social Anxiety: Effects of Implicit Weight Bias and Body Salience in Undergraduate Women

Abstract

There is a well-established link between peer victimization and social anxiety disorder (SAD). Additionally, rates of bullying are significantly higher in obese compared to normal-weight individuals. However, social anxiety (SA) has not yet been examined in the context of weight, weight bias, and social rejection. This study examined the relationship between SA and weight in undergraduate women (N = 186). It aimed to determine whether implicit weight bias moderated the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and SA. In addition, it explored the interactive effects of SA, BMI, and body image salience on emotional response to exclusion in a social ostracism paradigm (Cyberball). Participants answered questions pertaining to SA and stigmatizing attitudes toward overweight/obesity and completed an implicit association test about weight. One week later, they played Cyberball, completing state measures of affect before and after the game. Although rates of clinically elevated SA did not differ significantly across normal-weight, overweight, and obese women, implicit weight bias did moderate the relationship between BMI and SA. The 3-way interaction of BMI, SA, and body image salience did not significantly predict post-exclusion state measures. However, body image salience moderated the relationship between SA and post-exclusion anxiety as well as between BMI and post-exclusion anxiety. Findings from this study shed light on the role of body weight in the experience of SA. Results suggest that higher BMI is associated with higher SA for those with high, but not low implicit weight bias. In addition, individuals with elevated SA are particularly reactive to exclusion if their bodies are visible to others.