In addition to self-perception, body weight and fat distribution may bias person perception. Body weight is a highly visible individual difference variable that plays a role in how we perceive other people. This perception is not limited to physical size, but expands to other characteristics about the person, such as social economic status and personality. Ascribing traits to others based on their body size is not a new concept. Earlier in our history when food was scarcer, excess weight was considered a symbol of affluence, whereas today, in most western societies, obesity is more prevalent among the less affluent. More relevant to this study, personality traits are often ascribed to individuals based on their weight. As with other stereotypes (Terracciano, Abdel-Khalak, Ádám, Adamovová, Ahn, Ahn, et al., 2005), these stereotypes are often highly exaggerated or inaccurate, but have significant consequences. Overweight and obese individuals, for example, earn lower wages, face prejudice and unsatisfactory treatment from health care providers, and are portrayed negatively in the media (see Puhl & Heuer, 2009 for a comprehensive review). The present research gives a point of reference for assessing such stereotypes.
