Date of Graduation

5-2019

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science in Human Environmental Sciences

Degree Level

Undergraduate

Department

Human Development, Family Sciences and Rural Sociology

Advisor/Mentor

Becnel, Jennifer

Committee Member

Williams, Amanda

Second Committee Member

Jozkowski, Kristen

Abstract

Emerging adulthood is a developmental period in which college-aged individuals have greater risk for lower self-esteem and more issues with body image. Emerging adulthood is also a time where weight gain is likely to happen and weight is linked to experiences of weight stigma. This study sought to examine the associations between body image, self-esteem, weight, and weight stigma in male and female college students of healthy weight and excess weight. Findings suggest there are strong associations between issues with body image, low self-esteem, and weight stigma among females and males. Further, regardless of weight status, correlations between body image, self-esteem, and weight stigma associations were the same direction and of similar magnitude. Finally, this study found that weight stigma significantly mediated the relationship between body mass index and self-esteem.

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