I am in the final stages of my dissertation. The results, discussion and conclusions are complete. I just need to edit and format and it is long daunting work. It will be so nice when I am a prof and have an editor. But his is part of the process, reading and re-reading until you dream about your research. Yep, that's right. I have had a few dreams of the women that I interviewed. My major professor stated, "well, now you are ready to graduate, once you reach the brink of insanity, we know you're ready." Hahahaha, well, I have hardly had any sleep these last few night because all I can think about is finishing and making sure everything is perfect. That means reading and re-reading and triple checking one more time. I have been so fortunate to have some family and peers give me feedback.

It has also been stressful planning the move to West Virginia. Jay has decided to head to Yakima and work for a few months before coming out to WV. I will head out there after Kyle and Mirandas wedding and start school mid-August. Wowzaaa! I haven't really had time to process all that is happening because I have been so devoted to the successful completion of my degree. I am so grateful for my family and friends that are helping me take care of Mugsy and making sure I stay fed. Weird how the 'normal' things to do get subconsciously dismissed. I bet once I am all finished I will be so hungry and so sleepy :) For now, I am checking my references and formatting my documents in according with APA style. Have you ever heard of that? quick side bar: APA stands for American Psychological Association and they write manuals on how to publish in a consistent format. Basically, they write a bunch of monotonous rules about how large your font is and how to use headings and sub headings and sub-sub headings- so ridiculous but I understand the purpose.

This is an interesting point in life for me. There are so many 'irons in the fire' and I am doing my best to be strong and happy. At times it has been a challenge but all I have to do is remind myself that my family and friends love me. I have also found a great deal of comfort in this book By Robert peters.

It is about what it is like to be a Ph. D student. Aside from the acaemic help this book really showed me that I am not the only student who has ever felt frazzeled :) If anyone else you know is considering higer ed. I would highly reccomend this book- before starting. Also, if you are curious about the deeper parts of doctor land (that's what I like to call my life sometimes), I suggest giving a skim too. OK- back to editing, everything due Friday at 3pm. Wish me luck this is truely the home stretch. Love you all! xxoo

Paper Accepted for Conference!

I have been working hard on a paper to submit for a conference in Hawaii that is coming up in November. I am happy to announce that it was accepted and will be published! This also means that I will be attending the ITAA (International Textiles and Apparel Association) conference!!!! Weeeeeee!!


I have also been working hard on a grant to get funding for a research project. A fantastic researcher names Dr. R Puhl who works at Yale had agreed to be my sponsor for the grant. Very very exciting- She is brilliant. Here is my proposal for the grant- if you have never seen one this is what it looks like! There is a lot of work that goes into planning a proposal for funding and I may not even get the grant. I will keep you posted!

This is not riveting my any means but will give you an idea of the direction I am going with my responsibilities as a researcher (40% of my job description is doing this, 40% is lecturing and teaching, the other 20% is community service- yeah they are going to pay me to volunteer in the community- so epic).

WVU and WVU ADVANCE Sponsorship Program Application

Submitted by: Dr. Deborah Christel, PhD. Assistant Professor at West Virginia University

Sponsored by: Dr. Rebecca Puhl, PhD. Director of Research and Weight Stigma Initiatives at the

Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity at Yale University

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study is to understand the types of barriers that individuals who are

obese (particularly women) face when trying to find clothes in their size. The study aims to

examine obese individuals’ experiences of weight bias and the ways in which they confront

weight bias when shopping for clothes. The average household spends $1,760 on clothing

annually and Women account for 70% of that spending (Cox, 2008). In addition, data from the

National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2009–2010 indicates that more than onethird

of adults and almost 17% of youth are obese in the United States (Odgen, 2012). Thus, as

our spending on clothing increases and the average American increases in body size, it is

important to be aware of how weight bias is experienced in the retail and clothing industry, and

how this impacts obese individuals.

Very little work has examined weight bias in the retail environment (Almond, 2004), and

many questions remain regarding the nature and extent to which obese shoppers are more likely

to experience discrimination than average weight shoppers. Weight bias has been documented

more broadly in several decades of research, and found to be prevalent in multiple settings

including health care, athletic facilities, education and employment (Puhl & Heuer, 2009).

Recent estimates also indicate that the prevalence of weight discrimination has increased by 66%

in the past decade (Andreyeva, Puhl, Brownell, 2008), and is now on par with rates of racial

discrimination, especially among women (Puhl, Andreyeva, Brownell, 2008). The consequences

of weight bias can be incredibly detrimental. When individuals who are obese experience weight

bias, they have heightened risk for psychological consequences including depression, anxiety,

low self-esteem, poor body image and even suicidal acts and thoughts (see review by Puhl &

Heuer, 2009), as well as unhealthy behaviors that can reinforce weight gain and obesity (Puhl &

Heuer, 2010). In light of the widespread nature of weight bias in our society, it is likely that this

bias also extends to the retail-clothing environment, and may pose similar consequences for the

wellbeing of individuals who confront weight bias in this setting.

Given the limited research on weight bias in the clothing industry, it is important to

evaluate the barriers that individuals who are obese face when shopping for clothing, and the

ways in which weight bias may affect their experiences, emotional wellbeing, and body image.

Once these barriers are identified, these findings can be used to increase awareness in the apparel

industry and provide strategies to help promote a welcoming and positive environment for

shoppers of all sizes. To our knowledge, the proposed study will be the first systematic,

comprehensive assessment of experiences of weight bias and challenges with clothing for obese

women.

SPECIFIC OUTCOMES

The primary objective of the proposed research is to document and understand

experiences of weight bias and challenges with clothing for obese women. I will also examine

how these experiences are related to participants’ demographic characteristics, emotional

wellbeing, body image, and general weight-related attitudes. In addition, due to the lack of

research on this topic, I will be developing a questionnaire to assess weight bias experiences in

the apparel setting with guidance from the faculty sponsor, which can then be used by other

researchers in the field to advance study in this area.

These objectives will be accomplished through quantitative and qualitative questionnaires

administered through a secure (and anonymous) website survey. This will allow the researchers

to acquire a substantial amount of responses while also being able to collect demographics and

other important variables that individuals may not feel comfortable discussing in person.

This is an area of research that has yet to be explored extensively. Combining psychology,

social psychology and apparel design is a novel and informative approach to embark upon this

problem. The proposed study is groundbreaking and innovative, and has the potential to improve

the emotional wellbeing of obese women. The study will begin to reduce societal weight bias

toward obese persons in the apparel setting.

To accomplish the objectives of the proposed research, the following types of measures

will be implemented:

Primary Measures:

In collaboration with my faculty sponsor, we will develop a series of quantitative questions to

examine obese people's experiences of weight bias and perceived barriers with clothing and

shopping. These questions will help determine the nature and extent of their experiences as

related to interpersonal weight bias (e.g., rude salesclerks, snide remarks from other customers,

etc.) versus physical bias barriers (e.g., fitting rooms aren't large enough, clothes sizes not large

enough, can't find certain types of clothing for their size, etc.). Thus, questions will ask

participants about their experiences with rude salesclerks or snide remarks from other customers

when shopping for clothing, physical barriers related to being able to fit comfortably in dressing

rooms, and challenges finding flattering clothes in their size. Questions regarding participant’

feelings about size labels and vanity sizing will also be asked. (Vanity sizing refers to the

practice of clothing companies who put a smaller size label on a larger garment to make the

consumer think they are in fact a smaller size).

In addition, qualitative questions will be included as part of the survey to allow participants to

provide more detailed information and opinions about their experiences. Examples of questions

include the following:

What kinds of challenges do you face when trying to find clothes in your size?

Can you recall a time when you were treated badly because of your weight when shopping for

clothes? What happened in this situation?

What suggestions do you have for improving shopping experiences and reducing bias in retail

clothing settings?

Secondary Measures:

Participants will complete additional quantitative questionnaires including a self-report measure

of body image and self-esteem, internalization of weight bias, attitudes toward obese persons as

well as social physique anxiety and basic demographic information. All of these measures are

empirically validated, and will be used in conjunction with the primary measure to determine

correlations between experiences of shopping for clothing and participants’ demographic

characteristics, emotional wellbeing, and attitudes.

4

ANTICIAPTED BENEFITS

There are numerous benefits to the applicant’s career as well as to the university. As a

recent PhD graduate and a new tenure track assistant professor at West Virginia University,

developing a research foundation is critical. The grant will allow the University and applicant to

connect with an Ivy League research institution as well as create a foundation for a novel area of

research at WVU. Dr. Puhl has yet to see research directly examining the issue of weight bias

related to clothing. Conducting a comprehensive quantitative/qualitative survey with a large

online sample of obese persons would be novel, and could make a valuable contribution to the

field. The proposed research will also provide me with new opportunities to learn about survey

development and methodology, which I can then apply to future studies. In addition, I plan to

submit several papers for publication in peer-reviewed journals based on the findings of the

proposed research, as well as present the research findings at academic conferences. Dr. Puhl has

also invited me to present the findings to the Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity at Yale

University. Thus, I will have several opportunities to disseminate the research findings and

interact with experts in this field. I further anticipate that the proposed research would help build

a foundation for a broader research program for me in this area.

As stated on the previous page, the proposed research also has potential benefits for

obese persons, a stigmatized population in our society. The proposed research will give this

population a voice about their stigmatizing experiences and offer them opportunities to suggest

remedies for this problem. I also plan to disseminate the study findings to the apparel industry,

outlining specific suggestions for strategies to reduce weight bias in their setting.

PROPOSED SPONSOR CONTRIBUTION

The proposed sponsor is Dr. Rebecca Puhl. She is Director of Research and Weight

Stigma Initiatives at the Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity at Yale University where she is

also a Senior Research Scientist. Dr. Puhl is responsible for identifying and coordinating

research and policy efforts aimed at reducing weight bias.

Dr. Puhl has been studying weight bias for over a decade, and has published a range of

experimental studies, population-based studies, review papers, and chapters on this topic. Her

recent publications address the prevalence and origins of weight stigma, interventions to reduce

weight bias, and the impact of weight stigma on emotional and physical health. She has

presented on these topics to academic, professional, and community groups across the country,

and her research has received national and international media attention. Dr. Puhl serves on the

Council of The Obesity Society, and is an editor of the book Weight Bias: Nature, Extent, and

Remedies (Guilford Press, 2005). She also served as guest editor for a supplement issue in the

journal Obesity, entitled "Weight Bias: New Science on a Significant Social Problem".

Reference:

Rebecca M. Puhl, PhD. (n.d.). Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity — Home. Retrieved May

1, 2012, from http://yaleruddcenter.org/who_we_are.aspx?id=331

TRANSFORMATIVE MENTORING

Dr. Rebecca Puhl’s mentoring responsibilities will include guiding the faculty member

through a research project including the development of survey questions, interpretation of data,

and obtaining a large sample size of an underrepresented and discriminated population (obese

women). The collected data is intended to develop publishable research and to help build a

foundation for a broader research program for Dr. Puhl and the faculty member. Dr. Puhl has

experience in studying weight bias and the faculty member is an expert in studying the apparel

industry. The combined efforts and collaboration will greatly influence one another as well as

each researcher’s academic institutions.

COMMUNICATION PLAN

Communication between the sponsor and applicant will take place through several methods.

They will communicate through secure university provided email, telephone, as well as

scheduled Skype calls and personal meetings when necessary.

TIMELINE

-IRB Submission and Approval February 1, 2013

-Development of on-line questionnaire February 1, 2013.

-Create online survey design and URL March 1, 2013

-Recruitment and data collection from March 1, 2013 to July 1, 2013

-Data analysis September 1, 2013

-Written conclusions October 1, 2013

-Article abstracts written and submitted for publication by December 1, 2013

BUDGET

Budget Item Amount Sub-Total

Personnel

1 Project Director $40.74/hr plus fringe @

90 hours

4,547

Sponsor Contribution 5,000

Expenses for statistician/analyze data 300

$20/hour @ 15 hours

Total Personnel Expenses 9,847

2 Participant Compensation - Raffle $25

Amazon gift card for 300 participants (1

in 20 chance of winning)

325

Shipping cost of gift card 25

Total Participant Expenses 400

3 Communication

Publication costs: 5 journals @ $75/each 375

4 Equipment Expenses

Qualtrics data analysis subscription 500

Total Equipment Expenses 500

5 Travel Expenses

Domestic Travel (Transportation,

Accommodation, Meals

Airfare: 4 Domestic Trips Requiring

Travel

400 1,600

Overnight to mentor - US-Based Estimated

average for the 4 trips

Lodging 3 days 261 1,044

Meal Per Diem 153 612

Rental Car: 3 days each trip, four trips total 238 952

Gas 80 320

Westchester to New Haven CT = 50 miles

Pittsburgh to Morgantown = 77 miles

Economy car 30 miles/gallon

Total Travel Expenses 4,528

Total Request: $15,650

The primary expenses will include 1) Personnel compensation. I will spend an estimated 90

hours throughout the course of the project. With a pay rate of $40.75/hour @ 90 hours, this

equals $4,547. The sponsor will receive $5,000 for her contribution to the project. A statistician

will be paid to assist in cleaning and analyzing the data. With a pay rate of $20/hour and an

estimated of 15 hours, this equals $300. Total personnel expenses are $9,847. 2) Participant

compensation: this includes a drawing for a 1 in 20 chance of $25 Amazon Gift Card. With a

target enrollment for participation of 300 people, the total cost of gift cards equals $375. This

will also include cost of postage to ship the gift card to the participant, estimating $25 for

shipping. 3) Communication: Submitting abstracts to journals roughly cost between 30 and 75/

per journal. To reach a wide audience there is an estimated 475/ per journal @ 5 journals total,

this equals $375. 4) Equipment expenses are estimated at $500 for a Qualtrics subscription.

WVU currently has a subscription but the Division of Design & Merchandising, Davis College

of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design. 5) Lastly, travel expenses include airfare of four

domestic trips to and from Yale University, Connecticut and West Virginia University in

Morgantown, West Virginia. Lodging, food, car rental, and gas are estimated at $4,528.

References:

Almond, J. (2005, April 4). Obese shoppers more likely to experience discrimination. Science

News. Retrieved May 8, 2012, from http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2005-04/ruosm033105.

php

Andreyeva, T., Puhl, R.M., & Brownell, K.D (2008). Changes in Perceived Weight

Discrimination Among Americans, 1995-1996 through 2004-2006. Obesity, 16, 1129

–1134.

Cox, S. M. (2008, November 28). The Average Household Spent $1,760 on Clothes in 2007 --

Here's One Way to Cut Back | | AlterNet. Home | AlterNet. Retrieved May 8, 2012, from

http://www.alternet.org/story/109065/the_average_household_spent_$1,760_on_clothes_

in_2007_--_here's_one_way_to_cut_back/

Friedman, R. (2009). Rudd Brief Weight Bias. Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity — Home.

Retrieved May 8, 2012, from http://www.yaleruddcenter.org

7

Ogden CL, Carroll MD, Kit BK, Flegal KM. Prevalence of obesity in the United States, 2009–

2010. NCHS data brief, no 82. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics.

2012.

Puhl, R.M, & Heuer, C.A. (2009). The stigma of obesity: A review and update. Obesity, 17,

941-964.

Puhl, R.M., Andreyeva, T., & Brownell, K.D (2008). Perceptions of weight discrimination:

prevalence and comparison to race and gender discrimination in America. International

Journal of Obesity, 32, 992-1001.

Puhl, R.M., & Heuer, C.A. (2010). Obesity stigma: Important considerations for public health.

American Journal of Public Health, 100, 1019 - 1028.

Our new house on Hawthorn Street in Morgantown :)

After a long 4 days in Morgantown, WV Jay and I found our home!! We decided on a house in the Evansdale neighborhood which is right above campus. We live in the same neighbor hood as the Universities president and Oliver Luck (WVU Athletic director). We are close to campus, so close that it is a 2 minute walk to my office!!!!! We can see my building from the end of the block. Although we are really close, it is not a party neighborhood and we are really happy about that. Location location location is great!

Here is the front of

914 Hawthorne St.

Morgantown, WV 96505

The curbs are blue for car parking and zoning purposes- due to the closeness to campus, we'll have to get a parking permit because the students like to park there :) But we do have a 2 car garage in the back also .

Here is the side door that goes either up to the kitchen or down to the basement for laundry.

If you go through the side gate, you see the garage and our huge back yard! Jay will have fun mowing :)

There is a huge pine tree that will give wonderful shade in the hot hot summer months. 

Looking at the back of the house, there is a cute back porch that lead into the kitchen- perfect place for morning coffee and watching the bright red cardinal birds. 

Here is the opposite side of the house and the other fence to get into the backyard. 

Just down this street is West Virginia University! Go Mountaineers!

Here is the other direction down Hawthorn Street.

Now for the inside!!! 

Here is the view right when you walk in the front door. To the left is a staircase that goes up stairs and to the kitchen. 

Here you can see the front door and the staircase- love the red paint!

After you go through the livingroom you find this blue dining area that is connected to the kitchen. 

 Here is the kitchen that looks into the dining room.

View of the kitchen from the door to back porch.

First bedroom at the top of the stairs. 

Bathroom and large storage closet across from the first bedroom.

Second bedroom that looks over the backyard- possibly the office??

The third room,  Lilac #5, this was the owners daughters room and we have permission to paint over it :)

We are relieved to have found a place and look forward to everyone coming to visit! We plan to set up one of the rooms as a guest room and hope that it is used!! XXOO

AHHHHHHHH

Well. Here I am. 5pm and still working.... Stressed because I have a dead-line tomorrow and yikes. I may be here quite late. Well, no one ever said PhD land was going to be easy. 

Countdown to professor hood

Whoa, does the time fly by!!!

I have been in a dash for the finish line but need to give an update!

Jay is searching for jobs in Morgantown and found several accounting firms and companies that are in need of a CPA or general accountant. I am feeling relieved about that because it is important for us to both  move towards our career goals. I am so happy we can do that together. He is also taking on the task of contacting rental homes for us to check out when we visit at the end of the month. There are a lot of really nice homes in the area and I am so excited to find one that works for us. (also excited to decorate!)

Dissertation update:

Data collection complete! THis includes 28 in-depth interviews,  for ensuring validity and 14 member checks to ensure reliability. 47 hours of transcribing. I am in the analysis phase where I align my objective with my findings and look for similarities across the participants. It is great and I love hearing what women have to say. Found this comic to represent my last 2 years......... I am in-between the despair and drudgery phase at the moment........ :)

Well, I should be off to working on my results but here is a sneak peak of a model I am working on... still needs work- haven't quite figure out a name for the model..... the. And I will explain it all at the defense :) So excited to hear my family and friends are going to be there- feeling the love and support

Back in the USA

Just got back from Noasra, Costa Rica with my Mom. What a beautiful country! Wow, the food, the resort and the people were great. We lounged on the beach, went to yoga, relaxed and played with rescue monkeys.

They were so soft and warm and their tails are soooo long! Awww how sweet they were. So playful and they each have their own personalities. 

Back to work for me. I have a ton of grading to do, a proposal and grant to write, interviews to transcribe and a summary section to write. Whoooaaa. Looking forward to Thursday though..... Jay and I are beer tasting and then swing dance lessons :) 

Research with Yale University

Oh my!! I am so excited! WVU is offering a grant for Professors who are looking to collaborate with other Universities and companies. A part of being in higher education is bringing in grants (money) to the university that you are employed at. These funds go to research and equipment for teaching and educating the students. Soooo...... WVU has  a $15,000 grant available for researchers who are in underrepresented and minority groups- women being one of the underrepresented groups. I emailed a women at Yale who is brilliant and does research on weight based discrimination. I asked her if she wanted to collaborate with me and apply for the grant together...... long shot I Know BUT to my surprise she emailed me back and was very excited about my area of plus size clothing design. Still soaking in but I am going to collaborate with the Yale Rudd Research Center- oh my goodness. $5,000 goes to Yale for guidance and support in developing a research study and $10,000 to me to develop the study and buy supplies.

It feels really good to know that I am valuable for my brain and not my cute hair or pretty lipstick. Yep. Really good.