The Social Context of Obesity Research: Another Perspective on Its Place in the Field of Social Psychology

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Abstract
Most research by social psychologists on behavioral correlates of obesity has been interpreted from the perspective that obese are more sensitive than normals to external environmental stimuli and less sensitive to internal cues. In the present paper, evidence is reviewed which indicates that obese individuals, as deviants in society, are subjected to cultural and social pressures which exert strong influences on their behavior in both laboratory and life. It is suggested that a considerable amount of "external responsiveness" reflects attempts by obese subjects to engage in situationally-appropriate behavior. Rather than absorbing all behavioral characteristics of obese under the internal-external metaphor, it would be theoretically and practically useful to pay more attention to the social context of this research.

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