Irrational Reasoning Bias

Irrational Reasoning Despite the fact that there are arguable reasons as to why my personal weight bias could be rational, far more cases for the irrationality of this type of bias exist. Although physical appearance often determines the degree of perpetration of weight bias, people who may look overweight regularly have healthy BMIs (O’Brien, Latner, Ebneter, & Hunter, 2013; Steenhuis et al., 2006). Women especially have a tendency to overestimate their weight. In a study by Steenhuis et al. (2006), women estimated that they were overweight at an average BMI of 23.7, which is still well within the healthy weight range of 18.5 to 25. Media’s portrayal of “healthy weight” fuels this inconsistency of perceived versus actual weight, even …show more content…
Additionally, women who prioritize their body image are more likely to engage in social comparison and thus weight bias (O’Brien et al., 2013). Healthy women who misinterpret their own weight from their physical appearance also tend to expand this overestimation to the weight of other people when engaging in social comparison (Magallares, Jauregui-Lobera, Ruiz-Prieto, & Santed, 2013). Knowing about this immense incongruence between visual perception of weight and actual BMI debunks the rationality of weight bias. Furthermore, body mass index may not be the most accurate estimation of health: older adults with a BMI somewhat above the standard healthy range are associated with slower cognitive and functional decline, indicating an instance where a higher BMI is actually preferred for better health (Dixon et al., 2015). Based on the previous information, my weight bias is completely irrational because weight and health status cannot be …show more content…
Honestly, I do not think it is enough to detachedly watch documentaries about people dealing with the consequences of weight bias; therefore, my final strategy to decimate my bias involves putting faces to actual people in my community who struggle with their weight. Based on information from Alperin et al. (2014), contact with people who are overweight or obese increased empathy and decreased bias in participants who originally pre-tested as having high weight biases. Hearing the stories of real people from my community would engage me personally and authentically in a way a documentary could not. Creating relationships with people who struggle with their weight could greatly foster and increase my empathy and sensitivity for people who are overweight or obese, thus hopefully lowering my bias (Alperin et al., 2014). If possible, I would like to sit in on the meetings of Binge Eaters Anonymous, Overeaters Anonymous, or other groups that could potentially include members who are overweight or obese. Additionally, I have contemplated joining an eating disorder support group to encourage more healthy dialogue surrounding weight and body