EMOTIONAL CORRELATES OF BODY-WEIGHT - THE MODERATING EFFECTS OF GENDER AND FAMILY INCOME

This study explored emotional correlates of relative body weight in a sample of 187 male and 269 female college students. The contribution o f relative body weight, gender, family income and their interactions t o variables related to anxiety and anger were evaluated by multiple re gression procedures. Relative body weight was positively related to tr ait anxiety, especially among those with lower family incomes. Increas ed body weight was also related to trait anger and an anger-out expres sion style, but only among men. These results suggest that gender and family income moderate the contribution of relative body weight to anx iety and anger, both central aspects of a 'disease-prone personality'.