Publications

Weight Stigma and Health

Ending weight stigma to advance health equity. RL Pearl, LF Donze, LG Rosas et al. American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 2024

Longitudinal associations of internalized weight stigma with physical activity and weight loss. M Sheynblyum, TA Wadden, JD Latner, RL Pearl.  Obesity Science & Practice, 10(4), e773. 2024

The acute inflammatory effects of weight stigma: An experimental pilot study. NG Keirns, BH Keirns, CE Tsotsoros, HM Layman, ME Stout, CM Sciarrillo, S Emerson, J Byrd-Craven, JA Krems, RL Pearl, AJ Tomiyama, MAW Hawkins. Stigma and Health. 2023 

Comparing measurement of internalized weight stigma and body dissatisfaction. DL Leget, LJ LaCaille, RL Pearl. Body Image 47, 101622. 2023

Longitudinal associations of binge eating with internalized weight stigma and eating self-efficacy. LC Groshon, RL Pearl. Eating Behaviors 50. 2023

Prevalence of diagnosed psychiatric disorders among adults who have experienced and internalized weight stigma. RL Pearl, M Hernandez, C Bach, LC Groshon, TA Wadden. Obesity Science & Practice 9(6), 681-687. 2023

Refining the conceptualization and assessment of internalized weight stigma: A mixed methods approach. RL Pearl, TA Wadden, LC Groshon, HF Fitterman-Harris, C Bach, EM LaFata. Body Image 44, 93-102. 2023

Is weight stigma associated with physical activity? A systematic review. RL Pearl, TA Wadden, JM Jakicic. Obesity 29 (12), 1994-2012. 2021

Adverse childhood experiences and weight stigma: Co-occurrence and associations with psychological well-being. EM Schulte, C Bach, RI Berkowitz, JD Latner, RL Pearl. Stigma and Health 6(4), 408-418. 2021

International comparisons of weight stigma: Addressing a void in the field. RM Puhl, LM Lessard, RL Pearl, MS Himmelstein, GD Foster. International Journal of Obesity 45 (9), 1976-1985. 2021

Prevalence and correlates of weight bias internalization in weight management: A multinational study. RL Pearl, RM Puhl, LM Lessard, MS Himmelstein, GD Foster. SSM-population Health 13, 100755. 2021

Who’s a good boy? Effects of dog and owner body weight on veterinarian perceptions and treatment recommendations. RL Pearl, TA Wadden, C Bach, SM Leonard, KE Michel. International Journal of Obesity 44 (12), 2455-2464. 2020

Weight stigma and weight-related health: associations of self-report measures among adults in weight management RL Pearl, RM Puhl, MS Himmelstein, AM Pinto, GD Foster. Annals of Behavioral Medicine 54 (11), 904-914. 2020

Weight stigma as a psychosocial contributor to obesity. RM Puhl, MS Himmelstein, RL Pearl. American Psychologist 75 (2), 274-289. 2020

Associations between causal attributions for obesity and long-term weight loss. RL Pearl, TA Wadden, AM Chao, N Alamuddin, RI Berkowitz, O Walsh, KC Allison, JS Tronieri. Behavioral Medicine 46 (2), 87-91. 2020

Weight stigma among sexual minority adults: Findings from a matched sample of adults engaged in weight management RM Puhl, MS Himmelstein, RL Pearl, AC Wojtanowski, GD Foster. Obesity 27 (11), 1906-1915. 2019

Weight bias internalization in a commercial weight management sample: prevalence and correlates. RL Pearl, MS Himmelstein, RM Puhl, TA Wadden, AC Wojtanowski, GD Foster. Obesity science & practice 5 (4), 342-353. 2019

Weight bias internalization and long-term weight loss in patients with obesity. RL Pearl, TA Wadden, AM Chao, O Walsh, N Alamuddin, RI Berkowitz, JS Tronieri. Annals of Behavioral Medicine 53 (8), 782-787. 2019

Health and appearance: factors motivating the decision to seek bariatric surgery. RL Pearl, TA Wadden, K Walton, KC Allison, JS Tronieri, NN Williams. Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases 15 (4), 636-642. 2019

Causal attributions for obesity among patients seeking surgical versus behavioral/pharmacological weight loss treatment. RL Pearl, TA Wadden, KC Allison, AM Chao, N Alamuddin, RI Berkowitz, OA Walsh, JS Tronieri. Obesity surgery 28 (11), 3724-3728. 2018

Weight bias internalization and health: a systematic review. RL Pearl, RM Puhl. Obesity reviews 19 (8), 1141-1163. 2018

Weight stigma affects men too. RL Pearl, TA Wadden. Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.) 26 (6), 949. 2018

Everyday discrimination in a racially diverse sample of patients with obesity RL Pearl, TA Wadden, JS Tronieri, AM Chao, N Alamuddin, RI Berkowitz. Clinical obesity 8 (2), 140-146. 2018

Sociocultural and familial factors associated with weight bias internalization. RL Pearl, TA Wadden, JS Tronieri, AM Chao, N Alamuddin, ZM Bakizada, E Pinkasavage, RI Berkowitz. Obesity facts 11 (2), 157-164. 2018

Association between weight bias internalization and metabolic syndrome among treatment‐seeking individuals with obesity. RL Pearl, TA Wadden, CM Hopkins, JA Shaw, MR Hayes, ZM Bakizada, … Obesity 25 (2), 317-322. 2017

The distinct effects of internalizing weight bias: An experimental study. RL Pearl, RM Puhl. Body Image 17, 38-42. 2016

Differential effects of weight bias experiences and internalization on exercise among women with overweight and obesity. RL Pearl, RM Puhl, JF Dovidio. Journal of health psychology 20 (12), 1626-1632. 2015

Exposure to weight-stigmatizing media: Effects on exercise intentions, motivation, and behavior. RL Pearl, JF Dovidio, RM Puhl, KD Brownell. Journal of health communication 20 (9), 1004-1013. 2015

Overvaluation of shape and weight as a mediator between self-esteem and weight bias internalization among patients with binge eating disorder. RL Pearl, MA White, CM Grilo. Eating behaviors 15 (2), 259-261. 2014

Weight bias internalization, depression, and self‐reported health among overweight binge eating disorder patients. RL Pearl, MA White, CM Grilo. Obesity 22 (5), E142-E148. 2014

Measuring internalized weight attitudes across body weight categories: validation of the modified weight bias internalization scale. RL Pearl, RM Puhl. Body image 11 (1), 89-92. 2014

Obesity and public policy. AN Gearhardt, MA Bragg, RL Pearl, NA Schvey, CA Roberto, KD Brownell. Annual review of clinical psychology 8, 405-430. 2012

Clinical correlates of the weight bias internalization scale in a sample of obese adolescents seeking bariatric surgery. CA Roberto, R Sysko, J Bush, R Pearl, RM Puhl, NA Schvey, JF Dovidio. Obesity 20 (3), 533-539. 2012

Weight Stigma Interventions

Opportunities to advance research, intervention, and policy on stigma, eating disorders, and body image. RL Pearl, SB Austin, H Jebeile, L D’Adamo, DE Wilfley. Journal of Eating Disorders 11, 132. 2023

Long-term effects of an internalized weight stigma intervention: A randomized controlled trial. RL Pearl, TA Wadden, C Bach, EM LaFata, S Gautam, S Leonard, RI Berkowitz, JD Latner, JM Jakicic. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 91 (7), 398-410. 2023

Development of a Cognitive-Behavioral Intervention for Internalized Weight Stigma. RL Pearl, C Bach. TA Wadden. Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy 53, 165-172. 2023

Patient-Centered Care for Obesity: How Healthcare Providers Can Treat Obesity While Actively Addressing Weight Stigma and Eating Disorder Risk. MI Cardel, FA Newsome, RL Pearl, KM Ross, JR Dillard, DR Miller, …Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics 122 (6), 1089-1098. 2022

Policies to address weight discrimination and bullying: perspectives of adults engaged in weight management from six nations. RM Puhl, LM Lessard, RL Pearl, A Grupski, GD Foster. Obesity 29 (11), 1787-1798. 2021

Weight bias during the COVID-19 pandemic. RL Pearl, EM Schulte. Current obesity reports 10 (2), 181-190. 2021

Weight stigma and the “Quarantine-15.” RL Pearl. Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.) 28 (7), 1180. 2020

Six‐month follow‐up from a randomized controlled trial of the weight BIAS Program. RL Pearl, TA Wadden, C Bach, JS Tronieri, RI Berkowitz. Obesity 28 (10), 1878-1888. 2020

Effects of a cognitive-behavioral intervention targeting weight stigma: A randomized controlled trial. RL Pearl, TA Wadden, C Bach, K Gruber, S Leonard, OA Walsh, JS Tronieri, RI Berkowitz. Journal of consulting and clinical psychology 88 (5), 470-480. 2020

The “difficult” cadaver: weight bias in the gross anatomy lab AL Goss, L Rethy, RL Pearl, HM DeLisser. Medical education online 25 (1), 1742966. 2020

Preference for people-first language among patients seeking bariatric surgery. RL Pearl, K Walton, KC Allison, JS Tronieri, TA Wadden. Jama Surgery 153 (12), 1160-1162. 2018

Short‐and long‐term changes in health‐related quality of life with weight loss: results from a randomized controlled trial. RL Pearl, TA Wadden, JS Tronieri, RI Berkowitz, AM Chao, N Alamuddin, … Obesity 26 (6), 985-991. 2018

Group cognitive-behavioral treatment for internalized weight stigma: A pilot study/ RL Pearl, CH Hopkins, RI Berkowitz, TA Wadden. Eating and Weight Disorders 23(3), 357-362. 2018

Reconsidering the psychosocial-behavioral evaluation required prior to bariatric surgery. RL Pearl, KC Allison, JS Tronieri, TA Wadden. Obesity 26 (2), 249-250. 2018

Weight bias and stigma: public health implications and structural solutions. RL Pearl. Social Issues and Policy Review 12 (1), 146-182. 2018

Can legislation prohibiting weight discrimination improve psychological well‐being? A preliminary investigation. RL Pearl, RM Puhl, JF Dovidio. Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy 17 (1), 84-104. 2017

Effects of medical trainees’ weight‐loss history on perceptions of patients with obesity. RL Pearl, D Argueso, TA Wadden. Medical Education 51 (8), 802-811. 2017

Visual portrayals of obesity in health media: promoting exercise without perpetuating weight biasRL Pearl, JF Dovidio, RM PuhlHealth Education Research 30 (4), 580-590

Experiencing weight bias in an unjust world: Impact on exercise and internalization. RL Pearl, JF Dovidio. Health Psychology 34 (7), 741-749. 2015

Beyond personal responsibility: Effects of causal attributions for overweight and obesity on weight-related beliefs, stigma, and policy support. RL Pearl, MS Lebowitz. Psychology & health 29 (10), 1176-1191. 2014

Do media portrayals of obesity influence support for weight-related medical policy? PM Brochu, RL Pearl, RM Puhl, KD Brownell. Health Psychology 33 (2), 197. 2014

Positive media portrayals of obese persons: impact on attitudes and image preferences. RL Pearl, RM Puhl, KD Brownell. Health Psychology 31 (6), 821-829. 2012

Appearance- and Health-Related Stigma

Measuring internalized health-related stigma across health conditions: Development and validation of the I-HEARTS Scale. RL Pearl, Y Li, LC Groshon et al., BMC Medicine 22, 435. 2024. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-024-03661-z

Bringing an end to diabetes stigma and discrimination: An international consensus statement on evidence and recommendations. J Speight, E Truscott-Holmes, M Garza et al., The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology 12(1), 61-82. 2024.

Anticipated and perceived stigma among patients with psoriasis. MT Wan, RL Pearl, ZCC Fuxench, J Takeshita, JM Gelfand. Journal of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis 5 (3), 93-99. 2020

Ageism and health in patients undergoing cosmetic procedures. RL Pearl, I Percec Aesthetic surgery journal 39 (7), NP288-NP292. 2019

Stigmatizing attitudes toward persons with psoriasis among laypersons and medical students. RL Pearl, MT Wan, J Takeshita, JM Gelfand. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology 80 (6), 1556-1563. 2019

Acute appearance concerns in patients undergoing Mohs surgery: a single-institution cross-sectional study. RL Pearl, K Shao, TM Shin, CJ Miller, JF Sobanko. Dermatologic Surgery 44 (10), 1349-1351. 2018

Influence of repaired cleft lip and palate on layperson perception following orthognathic surgery. LO Lin, RS Zhang, DM Mazzaferro, IC Hoppe, RL Pearl, JW Swanson, SP Bartlett, JA Taylor. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery 142 (4), 1012-1022. 2018

Improving Quality of Life Measurement in Skin Cancer Patients: Clinical Correlate for the Skin Cancer Index. K Shao, J Zhang, RL Pearl, L Taylor, JF Sobanko. Dermatologic surgery, 44(8), 1139-1140. 2018

Orthognathic surgery has a significant effect on perceived personality traits and emotional expressions. DM Mazzaferro, AM Wes, S Naran, R Pearl, SP Bartlett, JA Taylor. Plastic and reconstructive surgery 140 (5), 971-981. 2017

Internalized stigma of mental illness: Changes and associations with treatment outcomes. RL Pearl, MJC Forgeard, L Rifkin, C Beard, T Björgvinsson. Stigma and Health 2 (1), 2-15. 2017

Positive beliefs about mental illness: Associations with sex, age, diagnosis, and clinical outcomes. MJC Forgeard, RL Pearl, J Cheung, LS Rifkin, C Beard, T Björgvinsson. Journal of Affective Disorders 204, 197-204. 2016