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. 2018;11(4):277-286.
doi: 10.1159/000489787. Epub 2018 Jul 11.

Where Do You Look? Visual Attention to Human Bodies across the Weight Spectrum in Individuals with Normal Weight or with Obesity

Elisabeth Leehr  1 , Katrin Elisabeth Giel, Norbert Schaeffeler, Isabelle Mack, Ansgar Thiel, Guido Zurstiege, Stephan Zipfel
Affiliations

Where Do You Look? Visual Attention to Human Bodies across the Weight Spectrum in Individuals with Normal Weight or with Obesity

Elisabeth Leehr et al. Obes Facts. 2018.

Abstract

Objective: We investigated how individuals with normal weight (NW) versus individuals with obesity (OB) visually explore human bodies varying in BMI.

Methods: 16 OB (BMI 37.5 ± 7.7 kg/m²) and 35 NW (BMI 21.5 ± 1.6 kg/m²) visually explored 35 natural photographs and 25 avatars depicting male and female bodies ranging from normal weight to obesity. Gaze behaviour was assessed using eye tracking technology. Additionally, participants rated the attractiveness of all body stimuli.

Results: A comparison of the displayed gaze behaviour shown by both participant weight classes indicates that regarding visual stimuli of obese natural bodies, all participants (OB + NW) looked at the waist longer, whereas regarding visual stimuli of normal-weight bodies, all participants viewed the head longer. Overall, OB spent less time looking at the bodies than NW. All participants rated normal-weight bodies as more attractive than obese bodies. However, the NW sample rated the depicted obese bodies as even less attractive than the OB sample did.

Conclusions: The BMI of the explored body, but not the observer's BMI, produces differences in the visual exploration of human bodies. The displayed exploration pattern of obese bodies can cautiously be interpreted as a 'de-individualised' and 'obesity-focused' perception. This tendency may prove in close relationship with the negative cultural views on obesity.

Keywords: Attention; BMI; Body; Eye tracking; Obesity.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Mean attractiveness (range from 1 to 10, 1 indicating very unattractive, 10 indicating very attractive) and standard error. A Mean attractiveness rating for avatar stimuli. B Mean attractiveness rating for natural stimuli. NW = individuals with normal weight; OB = individuals with obesity.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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