Clinician Perceptions of the Stereotype Content Describing People With Eating Disorders: A Weight-Inclusive Perspective

Abstract

Objective: Eating disorder stigma is influenced by body size in ways that may cultivate a particularly disadvantageous therapeutic milieu. The present study applied the stereotype content model to investigate the perceptions of mental health providers toward people with eating disorders and a range of eating behaviors, and how these perceptions vary by body size. Method: Using a within-participants design, mental health providers (N = 361) were presented with brief descriptions of 12 groups and asked questions about their perceived warmth and competence: People with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, orthorexia nervosa, and binge eating disorder; fat people with atypical anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, orthorexia nervosa, and binge eating disorder; dieters; fat dieters; intuitive eaters; and fat intuitive eaters. Results: All fat groups were perceived as less competent than their general counterparts. Fat people with atypical anorexia nervosa were perceived as warmer than people with anorexia nervosa, whereas fat intuitive eaters were perceived as less warm than intuitive eaters. Cluster analysis yielded three clusters: (1) a higher-competence, higher-warmth cluster, representing intuitive eaters; (2) a higher-competence, lower-warmth cluster, representing people with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, orthorexia nervosa, and dieters; and (3) a lower-competence, mid-warmth cluster, representing people with binge eating disorder and all fat groups. Discussion: The stereotype content model offers a useful framework to understand mental health providers' warmth and competence perceptions of people with a range of eating disorders and behaviors. Competence and warmth perceptions are shaped by body size and the restrictiveness of eating disorders and behaviors.