Abstract

In order to explore the beliefs about the causes of obesity, one questionnaire designed on purpose were applied to a sample of 142 students of second and third grades of secondary school (71 Spaniard and 71 Mexican), with ages between 13 and 16 years (M = 14.02, SD = .846). Participants considered that Volition and Personality were the most important causes of obesity, X2 (5, 142) = 265 353, p <.001, while Food, Education, Exercise and Genetics were the least important factors. This way of conceptualizing the causes of obesity seems to lead participants to blame obese people because of their condition, t (141) = 13, 740, p <.001. Finally, we discuss how beliefs about the causes of obesity and attitudes held towards obese people are articulated.