The Influence of Gender and Age on the Association Between "Fat-Talk" and Disordered Eating: An Examination in Men and Women From Their 20s to Their 50s

Fat-talk is a common experience in college-aged women, yet little is known about fat-talk in men and across the lifespan. Exposure to fat-talk was compared in a large sample of men (n = 819) and women (n = 1,696) across four age cohorts. Greater exposure to fat-talk was associated with increased disordered eating for men and women. Men experienced less fat-talk than women. Age was negatively associated with fat-talk in women but not in men. Weaker associations between fat-talk and disordered eating were found in men compared to women and in older individuals compared to younger individuals. Nonetheless, the positive association between fat-talk and disordered eating in men and women from late adolescence to midlife and beyond indicates a need to extend intervention programs to target fat-talk in men and women across the lifespan.