{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,17]],"date-time":"2026-09-17T21:06:01Z","timestamp":1789679161089,"version":"4.0.1"},"reference-count":68,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,2,7]],"date-time":"2023-02-07T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1675728000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJERPH"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Anxiety is one of the psychological factors associated with body weight experienced by people attempting to live up to expectations of an ideal body shape. The stigma of excessive or too low body weight and the stigmatization of people because of it is becoming a widespread problem with negative psychological and social consequences. One effect of the strong social pressure of beauty standards dependent on low body weight is the development of eating disorders and negative societal attitudes toward overweight or obese people. Research conducted to date has mainly focused on one dimension of weight-related anxiety\u2014the fear of getting fat. Ongoing research has also revealed the other side of weight-related anxiety\u2014fear of weight loss. Therefore, the purpose of the present project was to develop a two-dimensional scale to diagnose the level of weight-related anxiety and to preliminarily test the psychometric properties of the emerging constructs. Results: the BMAS-20 weight-related anxiety scale in both Polish and English versions was developed and its psychometric properties were confirmed. The components of body weight-change anxiety that emerged were: anxiety about getting fat and anxiety about losing weight. It was found that both AGF and ALW may have a protective function related to awareness of the negative consequences of poor eating and the health risks associated with it. Above-normal levels of anxiety may be a predictor of psychopathology. Both AGF and ALW are associated with symptoms of depression.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph20042888","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,2,8]],"date-time":"2023-02-08T02:29:08Z","timestamp":1675823348000},"page":"2888","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":9,"title":["I Don\u2019t Want to Be Thin! Fear of Weight Change Is Not Just a Fear of Obesity: Research on the Body Mass Anxiety Scale"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"20","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0186-3118","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Wojciech","family":"Styk","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychology, Medical University of Lublin, 20-059 Lublin, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ewa","family":"Wojtowicz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Polish Academy of Social Sciences and Humanities, 69 Banstead Road, Carshalton, London SM5 3NP, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Szymon","family":"Zmorzynski","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Cancer Genetics with Cytogenetic Laboratory, Medical University of Lublin, 20-059 Lublin, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,2,7]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"531","DOI":"10.1080\/07448481.2010.523855","article-title":"Psychosocial and Environmental Determinants of Eating Behaviors, Physical Activity, and Weight Change among College Students: A Qualitative Analysis","volume":"59","author":"Lacaille","year":"2011","journal-title":"J. Am. Coll. Health"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"261","DOI":"10.1097\/DBP.0b013e31824a7baa","article-title":"Development of eating behavior: Biology and context","volume":"33","author":"Gahagan","year":"2012","journal-title":"J. Dev. Behav. Pediatr."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Guzek, D., Skolmowska, D., and G\u0142\u0105bska, D. (2020). Appetitive Traits in a Population-Based Study of Polish Adolescents within the PLACE-19 Study: Validation of the Adult Eating Behavior Questionnaire. Nutrients, 12.","DOI":"10.3390\/nu12123889"},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"585","DOI":"10.1007\/s10608-018-9989-3","article-title":"Drive for Thinness Versus Fear of Fat: Approach and Avoidance Motivation Regarding Thin and Non-thin Images in Women","volume":"43","author":"Dondzilo","year":"2019","journal-title":"Cogn. Ther. Res."},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"74","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jesp.2013.11.009","article-title":"The ironic effects of weight stigma","volume":"51","author":"Major","year":"2014","journal-title":"J. Exp. Soc. Psychol."},{"key":"ref_6","unstructured":"Carpino, T., and Louanna, T. (2017). Young Women\u2019s Perceptions and Experiences of Skinny and Fat Shaming. [Ph.D. Thesis, Carleton University]."},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"393","DOI":"10.1016\/j.chiabu.2005.11.003","article-title":"Childhood emotional abuse and disordered eating among undergraduate females: Mediating influence of alexithymia and distress","volume":"30","author":"Hund","year":"2006","journal-title":"Child Abus. Negl."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"635","DOI":"10.1177\/0011000001295002","article-title":"Etiology of Eating Disorders in Women","volume":"29","author":"Cachelin","year":"2001","journal-title":"Couns. Psychol."},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"67","DOI":"10.1016\/j.socscimed.2011.09.036","article-title":"How does the social environment \u2018get into the mind\u2019? Epigenetics at the intersection of social and psychiatric epidemiology","volume":"74","author":"Toyokawa","year":"2012","journal-title":"Soc. Sci. Med."},{"key":"ref_10","unstructured":"Reber, A.S., Reber, E.S., Kurcz, I., Skarzy\u0144ska, K., and Janasiewicz-Kruszy\u0144ska, B. (2005). The Penguin Dictionary of Psychology, Penguin Press."},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"286","DOI":"10.1002\/da.23113","article-title":"Co-morbidity between mood and anxiety disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"38","author":"Saha","year":"2021","journal-title":"Depress. Anxiety"},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"613","DOI":"10.1093\/jpepsy\/jsh063","article-title":"Body Size Stigmatization in Preschool Children: The Role of Control Attributions","volume":"29","author":"Holub","year":"2004","journal-title":"J. Pediatr. Psychol."},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"373","DOI":"10.1016\/j.bodyim.2005.08.002","article-title":"Implicit and explicit attitudes toward fatness and thinness: The role of the internalization of societal standards","volume":"2","author":"Vartanian","year":"2005","journal-title":"Body Image"},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"504","DOI":"10.1037\/0021-843X.98.4.504","article-title":"A Comparison of the Validity of Three Scales for the Assessment of Dietary Restraint","volume":"98","author":"Laessle","year":"1989","journal-title":"J. Abnorm. Psychol."},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"157","DOI":"10.1007\/BF00960765","article-title":"Current and vestigial effects of overweight among women: Fear of fat, attitudinal body image, and eating behaviors","volume":"12","author":"Cash","year":"1990","journal-title":"J. Psychopathol. Behav. Assess."},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"72","DOI":"10.1007\/s40211-019-0302-9","article-title":"Obesity and anxiety symptoms: A systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"33","author":"Amiri","year":"2019","journal-title":"Neuropsychiatrie"},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e12388","DOI":"10.1111\/cob.12388","article-title":"Eating in case of emotion dys-regulation, depression and anxiety: Different pathways to emotional eating in moderate and severe obesity","volume":"10","author":"Willem","year":"2020","journal-title":"Clin. Obes."},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"669","DOI":"10.1016\/j.mcna.2019.02.003","article-title":"Update on Binge Eating Disorder","volume":"103","author":"Guerdjikova","year":"2019","journal-title":"Med. Clin. N. Am."},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"79","DOI":"10.1007\/s12529-019-09827-x","article-title":"The association between obesity and hyperactivity\/anxiety among elementary school students in Japan","volume":"27","author":"Suzuki","year":"2020","journal-title":"Int. J. Behav. Med."},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"14","DOI":"10.1186\/s13643-018-0685-x","article-title":"Anxiety and the development and maintenance of anorexia nervosa: Protocol for a systematic review","volume":"7","author":"Lloyd","year":"2018","journal-title":"Syst. Rev."},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"340","DOI":"10.1097\/YCO.0000000000000278","article-title":"Epidemiology of eating disorders in Europe: Prevalence, incidence, comorbidity, course, consequences, and risk factors","volume":"29","author":"Mustelin","year":"2016","journal-title":"Curr. Opin. Psychiatry"},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"329","DOI":"10.1207\/s15327752jpa4903_21","article-title":"Goldfarb Fear of Fat Scale","volume":"49","author":"Goldfarb","year":"1985","journal-title":"J. Personal. Assess."},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"58","DOI":"10.1016\/j.bodyim.2021.11.003","article-title":"An examination of the factor structure of the Goldfarb Fear of Fat Scale in clinical and non-clinical samples of Polish women","volume":"40","author":"Buszman","year":"2022","journal-title":"Body Image"},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"26","DOI":"10.1186\/s40337-021-00379-8","article-title":"Overcoming limitations of self-report: An assessment of fear of weight gain in anorexia nervosa and healthy controls using implicit association tests","volume":"9","author":"Borgers","year":"2021","journal-title":"J. Eat. Disord."},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"220","DOI":"10.1002\/eat.20820","article-title":"Nonfat phobic anorexia nervosa: Clinical characteristics and response to inpatient treatment","volume":"44","author":"Carter","year":"2011","journal-title":"Int. J. Eat. Disord."},{"key":"ref_26","unstructured":"Costa, P.T., and McCrae, R.R. (2008). The SAGE Handbook of Personality Theory and Assessment: Volume 2\u2014Personality Measurement and Testing, SAGE Publications Ltd."},{"key":"ref_27","unstructured":"Juczy\u0144ski, Z., and Ogi\u0144ska-Bulik, N. (2009). Narz\u0119dzia Pomiaru Stresu i Radzenia Sobie ze Stresem, Pracownia Test\u00f3w Psychologicznych."},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"393","DOI":"10.1093\/occmed\/kqu024","article-title":"The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale","volume":"64","author":"Stern","year":"2014","journal-title":"Occup. Med. (Chic. Ill.)"},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"35","DOI":"10.5114\/ain.2019.85767","article-title":"Research on the Polish short version of the Impulsive Behavior Scale UPPS-P","volume":"32","author":"Poprawa","year":"2019","journal-title":"Alcohol. Drug Addict."},{"key":"ref_30","first-page":"28","article-title":"Psychometryczne w\u0142a\u015bciwo\u015bci polskiej wersji kr\u00f3tkiej skali wra\u017cliwo\u015bci nakary i nagrody (SPSRQ-SF Cooper i Gomez, 2008)","volume":"52","author":"Wytykowska","year":"2014","journal-title":"Stud. Psychol."},{"key":"ref_31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"346","DOI":"10.1515\/ppb-2016-0041","article-title":"NAS-50 and NAS-40: New scales for the assessment of self-control","volume":"47","author":"Wujcik","year":"2016","journal-title":"Pol. Psychol. Bull."},{"key":"ref_32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"72","DOI":"10.5114\/hpr.2013.40471","article-title":"Polish normalization of the Body Esteem Scale","volume":"1","author":"Lipowska","year":"2013","journal-title":"Health Psychol. Rep."},{"key":"ref_33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"George, D., and Mallery, P. (2019). IBM SPSS Statistics 23 Step by Step A Simple Guide and Reference 14th Edition Answers to Selected Exercises, Routledge.","DOI":"10.4324\/9780429056765"},{"key":"ref_34","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"597","DOI":"10.22237\/jmasm\/1257035100","article-title":"New Effect Size Rules of Thumb","volume":"8","author":"Sawilowsky","year":"2009","journal-title":"J. Mod. Appl. Stat. Methods"},{"key":"ref_35","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"468","DOI":"10.1249\/01.MSS.0000117115.94062.E4","article-title":"Attitudes toward Obese Individuals among Exercise Science Students","volume":"36","author":"Chambliss","year":"2004","journal-title":"Med. Sci. Sports Exerc."},{"key":"ref_36","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"599","DOI":"10.1002\/1098-108X(199109)10:5<599::AID-EAT2260100512>3.0.CO;2-#","article-title":"The measurement of attitudes toward and beliefs about obese persons","volume":"10","author":"Allison","year":"1991","journal-title":"Int. J. Eat. Disord."},{"key":"ref_37","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"32","DOI":"10.1111\/obr.12235","article-title":"Personality traits and obesity: A systematic review","volume":"16","author":"Gerlach","year":"2015","journal-title":"Obes. Rev."},{"key":"ref_38","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"127","DOI":"10.3389\/fendo.2017.00127","article-title":"Overlapping Neural Endophenotypes in Addiction and Obesity","volume":"8","author":"Michaud","year":"2017","journal-title":"Front. Endocrinol."},{"key":"ref_39","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"79","DOI":"10.1016\/j.paid.2014.08.025","article-title":"Sensitivity to reward and punishment: Associations with diet, alcohol consumption, and smoking","volume":"72","author":"Tapper","year":"2015","journal-title":"Pers. Individ. Differ."},{"key":"ref_40","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"581","DOI":"10.1016\/S0002-8223(21)29277-8","article-title":"Resistance of the obese to reducing","volume":"30","author":"Conrad","year":"1954","journal-title":"J. Am. Diet. Assoc."},{"key":"ref_41","first-page":"40","article-title":"Perceptions of body size and its association with HIV\/AIDS","volume":"24","author":"Puoane","year":"2011","journal-title":"S. Afr. J. Clin. Nutr."},{"key":"ref_42","first-page":"228","article-title":"Impact of the HIV\/AIDS pandemic on non-communicable disease prevention","volume":"95","author":"Puoane","year":"2005","journal-title":"S. Afr. Med. J."},{"key":"ref_43","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"65","DOI":"10.1080\/10640269808249248","article-title":"Dimensions of control in bulimia and anorexia nervosa: Internal control, desire for control, or fear of losing self-control?","volume":"6","author":"Tiggemann","year":"1998","journal-title":"Eat. Disord."},{"key":"ref_44","first-page":"157","article-title":"A critique of the literature on etiology of eating disorders","volume":"20","author":"Choudhry","year":"2013","journal-title":"Ann. Neurosci."},{"key":"ref_45","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"206","DOI":"10.1002\/eat.10067","article-title":"Characteristics of eating disorder patients without a drive for thinness","volume":"32","author":"Ramacciotti","year":"2002","journal-title":"Int. J. Eat. Disord."},{"key":"ref_46","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"90","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2020.00090","article-title":"Fat-Phobic and Non-Fat-Phobic Anorexia Nervosa: A Conjoint Analysis on the Importance of Shape and Weight","volume":"11","author":"Korn","year":"2020","journal-title":"Front. Psychol."},{"key":"ref_47","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"340","DOI":"10.1037\/abn0000254","article-title":"The core symptoms of bulimia nervosa, anxiety, and depression: A network analysis","volume":"126","author":"Levinson","year":"2017","journal-title":"J. Abnorm. Psychol."},{"key":"ref_48","first-page":"138","article-title":"Relationship of social anxiety, body image perception and depression with bulimia nervosa and anorexia nervosa in youth","volume":"20","author":"Mashalpourfard","year":"2018","journal-title":"J. Fundam. Ment. Health"},{"key":"ref_49","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"107","DOI":"10.1046\/j.1467-789x.2001.00030.x","article-title":"The genetic epidemiology of thinness","volume":"2","author":"Bulik","year":"2001","journal-title":"Obes. Rev."},{"key":"ref_50","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"38","DOI":"10.1007\/BF03327793","article-title":"How did you get so thin? The effect of attribution on perceptions of underweight females","volume":"14","author":"Hayes","year":"2009","journal-title":"Eat. Weight. Disord.-Stud. Anorexia, Bulim. Obes."},{"key":"ref_51","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"110","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1751-9861.1998.tb00048.x","article-title":"Body Image and Affective Experiences of Subjectively Underweight Females: Implications for Exercise Behavior","volume":"3","author":"Lox","year":"1998","journal-title":"J. Appl. Biobehav. Res."},{"key":"ref_52","first-page":"258","article-title":"The underweight male: The unrecognized problem group of body image research","volume":"4","author":"Harmatz","year":"1985","journal-title":"J. Obes. Weight. Regul."},{"key":"ref_53","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"185","DOI":"10.4038\/cmj.v66i4.9509","article-title":"Body image dissatisfaction and its determinants in urban Sri Lankan adolescents","volume":"66","author":"Liyanage","year":"2021","journal-title":"Ceylon. Med. J."},{"key":"ref_54","first-page":"479","article-title":"Body-image dissatisfaction in children and adolescents: A systematic review","volume":"34","year":"2017","journal-title":"Nutr. Hosp."},{"key":"ref_55","unstructured":"Henningsen, L. (1899). Attaining Idealized Status: Motivation to Diet and Exercise after Exposure to Women with Ideal Body Types in Relationships. [Ph.D. Thesis, Carroll College]."},{"key":"ref_56","unstructured":"Ogden, J. (2010). The Psychology of Eating: From Healthy to Disordered Behavior, Wiley-Blackwell. [2nd ed.]."},{"key":"ref_57","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Lindberg, L., Hagman, E., Danielsson, P., Marcus, C., and Persson, M. (2020). Anxiety and depression in children and adolescents with obesity: A nationwide study in Sweden. BMC Med., 18.","DOI":"10.1186\/s12916-020-1498-z"},{"key":"ref_58","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"51","DOI":"10.4103\/abr.abr_259_20","article-title":"The Relationship Between Body Mass Index and Depression, Anxiety, Body Image, and Eating Attitudes in Adolescents in Iran","volume":"11","author":"Rostampour","year":"2022","journal-title":"Adv. Biomed. Res."},{"key":"ref_59","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"182","DOI":"10.4103\/jpgm.JPGM_712_16","article-title":"Psychiatric disorders and obesity: A review of association studies","volume":"63","author":"Rajan","year":"2017","journal-title":"J. Postgrad. Med."},{"key":"ref_60","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"192","DOI":"10.1038\/sj.ijo.0803701","article-title":"Obesity and mental disorders in the general population: Results from the world mental health surveys","volume":"32","author":"Scott","year":"2008","journal-title":"Int. J. Obes."},{"key":"ref_61","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"86","DOI":"10.1093\/jn\/138.1.86","article-title":"An Index of Diet and Eating Patterns Is a Valid Measure of Diet Quality in an Australian Population","volume":"138","author":"McNaughton","year":"2008","journal-title":"J. Nutr."},{"key":"ref_62","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"645654","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyt.2021.645654","article-title":"Gender-Dependent Associations of Anxiety and Depression Symptoms With Eating Disorder Psychopathology in a Representative Population Sample","volume":"12","author":"Ernst","year":"2021","journal-title":"Front. Psychiatry"},{"key":"ref_63","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1268","DOI":"10.1038\/ijo.2012.204","article-title":"The associations of anxiety and depression symptoms with weight change and incident obesity: The HUNT Study","volume":"37","author":"Brumpton","year":"2013","journal-title":"Int. J. Obes."},{"key":"ref_64","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"220","DOI":"10.1001\/archgenpsychiatry.2010.2","article-title":"Overweight, obesity, and depression: A systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies","volume":"67","author":"Luppino","year":"2010","journal-title":"Arch. Gen. Psychiatry"},{"key":"ref_65","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1186\/s12888-019-2385-z","article-title":"Association between depression, anxiety and weight change in young adults","volume":"19","author":"Sahle","year":"2019","journal-title":"BMC Psychiatry"},{"key":"ref_66","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"18","DOI":"10.1038\/s41380-018-0017-5","article-title":"Depression and obesity: Evidence of shared biological mechanisms","volume":"24","author":"Milaneschi","year":"2019","journal-title":"Mol. Psychiatry"},{"key":"ref_67","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"11","DOI":"10.1016\/j.bodyim.2013.09.001","article-title":"\u201cI am not a skinny toothpick and proud of it\u201d: Latina adolescents\u2019 ethnic identity and responses to mainstream media images","volume":"11","author":"Schooler","year":"2014","journal-title":"Body Image"},{"key":"ref_68","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"583","DOI":"10.1080\/03630242.2017.1321607","article-title":"Perceived ideal body size of Ghanaian women: \u201cNot too skinny, but not too fat\u201d","volume":"58","author":"Tuoyire","year":"2018","journal-title":"Women Health"}],"container-title":["International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1660-4601\/20\/4\/2888\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,10]],"date-time":"2025-10-10T18:26:27Z","timestamp":1760120787000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1660-4601\/20\/4\/2888"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2023,2,7]]},"references-count":68,"journal-issue":{"issue":"4","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,2]]}},"alternative-id":["ijerph20042888"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/ijerph20042888","relation":{},"ISSN":["1660-4601"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1660-4601","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2023,2,7]]}}}