Implications of Wearing a Fat Suit

Feeding Behaviors Clinical Trial

Official title:

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

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT02745405
• Other study ID #: 13-001873
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• First received: April 11, 2016
• Last updated: April 15, 2016
• Start date: April 2014
• Est. completion date: December 2014

Study information

• Verified date: April 2016
• Source: University of California, Los Angeles
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Health authority: United States: Institutional Review Board
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial 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.

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.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 109
• Est. completion date: December 2014
• Est. primary completion date: December 2014
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: Both
• Age group: 18 Years and older

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

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

Exclusion Criteria:

• No specific exclusion criteria.

Study Design

Allocation: Randomized, Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment, Masking: Open Label, Primary Purpose: Basic Science

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Feeding Behaviors

Intervention

Other:
• Fat Suit
Participants wear a fat suit.
• Control Condition
Participants wear same clothing as intervention, but in their own size.

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
n/a

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
A. Janet Tomiyama

References & Publications (3)

Baker F, Denniston M, Zabora J, Polland A, Dudley WN. A POMS short form for cancer patients: psychometric and structural evaluation. Psychooncology. 2002 Jul-Aug;11(4):273-81. — View Citation

Crandall CS. Prejudice against fat people: ideology and self-interest. J Pers Soc Psychol. 1994 May;66(5):882-94. — View Citation

Zadro L, Williams KD, Richardson R. How low can you go? Ostracism by a computer is sufficient to lower self-reported levels of belonging, control, self-esteem, and meaningful existence. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 40(4): 560-567, 2004.

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Eating behavior measured via grams of food consumed	M&Ms, potato chips, and full-sugar soda consumption	~10-minutes post-manipulation	No
Secondary	Cortisol reactivity		~20 minutes post-manipulation	No
Secondary	Antifat Attitudes measured via electronic questionnaire		~30 minutes after post-manipulation	No
Secondary	Psychological Well-Being measured via electronic questionnaires		~15 minutes post-manipulation	No