Restraint, weight loss, and variability of body weight
Article Abstract:
It has been suggested that individuals who are chronic dieters are frequently chronic overeaters, and merely alternate between two extremes in food consumption. Consequently, these individuals are often not successful in losing weight, as their overall calorie intake remains fairly constant. This assumption has not been validated by research, and supportive evidence tends to be of an anecdotal nature. To further examine the weight fluctuations of chronic dieters compared with nondieters, 24 college women were enrolled in this study. The women were grouped according to their scores on the Restraint Scale, a measurement of how much an individual restricts food consumption; the Eating Disorder Inventory was also administered. Subjects were classified as a dieter or nondieter. For six weeks, the women were weighed daily and asked to complete a weekly questionnaire regarding life events and general health. They were followed-up six months later. When compared with relative body weight, restraint proved to be a significantly better predictor of natural weight fluctuations. 'Concern for Dieting' and 'Weight Fluctuations' were two factors on the Restraint Scale that predicted weight variability. These results support the idea that weight fluctuations are not a feature of greater body weight, but a consequence of overeating and dieting in a cyclic fashion. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)
Publication Name: Journal of Abnormal Psychology
Subject: Psychology and mental health
ISSN: 0021-843X
Year: 1991
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Weight gain after smoking cessation in women: the impact of dieting status
Article Abstract:
The impact of dieting on the motivation of women to start and continue smoking as well as the weight gain achieved after smoking cessation were investigated. A survey was conducted involving 220 female undergraduate students to determine whether concerns about weight gain would prevent women from quitting their smoking habits. Results show that dieting women who were former smokers gained more weight than their nondieting counterparts. Dieters were also more likely to initiate and continue smoking to control their weight.
Publication Name: The International Journal of Eating Disorders
Subject: Psychology and mental health
ISSN: 0276-3478
Year: 1998
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Judgments of body weight based on food intake: a pervasive cognitive bias among restrained eaters
Article Abstract:
Two studies analyze the influence of meal-size information on restrained and unrestrained eater's judgments of body weight and size. Findings indicate that the judgment of restrained eaters is biased by meal-size information.
Publication Name: The International Journal of Eating Disorders
Subject: Psychology and mental health
ISSN: 0276-3478
Year: 2008
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