Measuring social processes regarding eating, physical activity, and weight in higher-weight people: the weight-related interactions scale (WRIS)

Purpose: This study sought to develop a psychometrically sound measure to assess effective and ineffective forms of input from others regarding eating, physical activity, and weight in higher-weight people, namely, the Weight-Related Interactions Scale (WRIS). Methods: Participants (n = 736) were adults in the overweight/obese weight ranges who completed the WRIS and measures of weight-specific social support, emotional eating, weight stigma, eating-specific self efficacy, and social desirability. Results: Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses of the WRIS supported a three-factor solution of ‘Criticism’, ‘Minimization’, and ‘Collaboration’ as forms of weight-related input from others. Support was found for the reliability and the concurrent, convergent, and divergent validity of the WRIS. Conclusions: The WRIS is a promising new instrument for comprehensively assessing the input of others in relation to eating, physical activity, and weight among higher-weight individuals. Level of evidence: Level III. Evidence obtained from well-designed cohort or case–control analytic studies.