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Intentional weight gain efforts among young Canadian adults aged 17-32 years
Carolyn Minnick, Amanda Raffoul, David Hammond, Sharon I. Kirkpatrick Read the paper |
Research related to body weight management often focuses on weight loss but attempts to gain weight may be common given societal ideals related to body shape and size. The objectives of this study were to examine the prevalence and correlates of intentional weight gain attempts and to characterize weight gain strategies reported among young Canadian adults. Cross-sectional data were drawn from a 2017 online survey of young adults, aged 17 to 32 years, recruited from five large cities (n=976, 493 men and 483 women). The prevalence of weight gain attempts and specific strategies used were estimated, with multivariable logistic regression used to examine correlates of intent to gain weight. Over one in five men (23.1%) and approximately one in twenty women (6.0%) reported attempting to gain weight in the past 12 months. Men, those who perceived themselves as underweight (compared to “just about right”), and those who reported one or more racial/ethnic identity or did not state their race/ethnicity (compared to white only) had higher odds of reporting attempting to gain weight. Individuals who perceived themselves as overweight or who self-reported heights and weights corresponding to a BMI between 25 and 29.9 had lower odds of reporting attempting to gain weight. Those attempting to gain weight reported using three strategies on average, with the most prevalent among both men and women including eating more overall, eating more protein, and exercising/weightlifting. The results suggest that, while less common than dieting, weight gain attempts are not rare, especially among young men.
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Research interests: weight management, body image, eating disorders, dietary patterns, health promotion, health communication
Education:
MSc Candidate, Public Health and Health Systems, Faculty of Applied Health Sciences, University of Waterloo (2019- ) BPH, Honours Public Health Co-op with Aging Studies Option, Public Health and Health Systems, Faculty of Applied Health Sciences, University of Waterloo (2014-2019) |
Select publications:
Peer-reviewed:
Peer-reviewed:
- Minnick C, Raffoul A, Hammond D, Kirkpatrick SI. Intentional weight gain efforts among young Canadian adults aged 17–32 years. Eating Behaviors. 2020;38:101407.
Presentations:
- Minnick C, Raffoul A, Kirkpatrick SI. Intentional weight gain behaviours among young Canadian adults. Waterloo Institute for Complexity and Innovation Complex Systems Student Symposium, 2019.
Recognitions:
- 2020: Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Canada Graduate Scholarship
- 2019: Graduate Experience Award, University of Waterloo
Carolyn's BPH Undergraduate Thesis:
Intentional weight gain behaviours among young Canadian adults
Intentional weight gain behaviours among young Canadian adults
- Efforts to modify body weight are prevalent among young adults in Canada, with the focus often on weight loss.
- The objectives of this thesis were to determine the prevalence of intention weight gain attempts among Canadian young adults and to examine the weight gain strategies used.
- More than 1 in 10 (14%) of the sample reported attempting to gain weight. Three strategies on average were reported by participants, including eating more food, eating more protein and exercising/weight lifting.
- Perceiving oneself as overweight and being male were significantly correlated with attempting to gain weight.
- Understanding why individuals attempt to increase their body weight in a society that stigmatizes larger persons is an important step in developing a nuanced and inclusive view of weight.