Healthy eaters beat unhealthy eaters in prototype evaluation among men, but abstinence may pose a risk for social standing

Although previous studies have shown that unhealthy eating is associated with a positive image of a typical unhealthy eating peer (prototype), their focus on prototypes is typically narrow/limited. The present study addresses this gap in the literature and investigates two aspects in peer evaluations: (1) healthy vs. unhealthy and (2) abstainer vs. chooser. Moreover, their mean differences, interrelationships and associations with eating behavior will be examined. Methods: Men in military service (N = 1824, Age M = 19.8) reported their eating behaviors and evaluated either (a) Vegetable chooser and Vegetable abstainer prototypes (N = 920) or b) Fat chooser and Fat abstainer prototypes (N = 904) on a scale containing 17 antonyms. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses suggested a three-factor structure: Self-regulation, Social standing in peer group and Appearance (Comparative Fit Indexes 0.82–0.87; Tucker–Lewis index 0.78–0.84; Root Mean Square Error of Approximation 0.07–0.08). Results: Healthy eat...