A new study by researchers from the University of Notre Dame has found that women who "fat-talk" are less liked by their friends.
Women often engage is gossiping and discussing beauty treatments. However, women who engage in too much talk about exercising, eating habits and their bodies, known as "fat talk" are often less liked by their friends, reveals a new study conducted by researchers from the University of Notre Dame.
For the study, a group of women were showed pictures of both overweight and thin women engaging in either positive body talk or "fat talk." The participants were then made to rate the women in the pictures on their likability factor.
Researchers found that participants rated women who engaged in "fat talk" least likable irrespective of them being thin or overweight. The participants rated the overweight women who engaged in positive body talk as most likable.
"Though it has become a regular part of everyday conversation, 'fat talk' is far from innocuous," according to Alexandra Corning, research associate professor of psychology and director of Notre Dame's Body Image and Eating Disorder Lab, who was the lead author of the study. "It is strongly associated with, and can even cause, body dissatisfaction, which is a known risk factor for the development of eating disorders."
Previous studies have found that women often use "fat talk" to bond with each other but this new study shows that "fat talkers" are not liked very much. In fact women prefer other women making positive comments about their body.
"These findings are important because they raise awareness about how women actually are being perceived when they engage in this self-abasing kind of talk," Corning says. "This knowledge can be used to help national efforts to reduce 'fat talking' on college campuses."
