OBJECTIVE: To investigate gender differences in attitudes to obesity in pre-school children. DESIGN: Evaluation of gender differences in judgements of stimulus figures varying in body shape and gender. SUBJECTS: Twenty-five children aged 2-5 y, 12 boys and 13 girls. MEASURES: Forced-choice ascriptions of personal, social and behavioural traits to normal and obese male and female dolls. RESULTS: Children ascribed more negative characteristics than positive ones to fat figures than to normal figures, and more to fat female than to fat male figures. CONCLUSION: Children can demonstrate prejudiced behaviour towards obesity at earlier ages than previously thought.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate gender differences in attitudes to obesity in pre-school children. DESIGN: Evaluation of gender differences in judgements of stimulus figures varying in body shape and gender. SUBJECTS: Twenty-five children aged 2-5 y, 12 boys and 13 girls. MEASURES: Forced-choice ascriptions of personal, social and behavioural traits to normal and obese male and female dolls. RESULTS:Children ascribed more negative characteristics than positive ones to fat figures than to normal figures, and more to fat female than to fat male figures. CONCLUSION:Children can demonstrate prejudiced behaviour towards obesity at earlier ages than previously thought.