The influence of individual choices and attitudes on adiposity

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To determine which dietary and lifestyle choices and which attitudes toward diet and health most contribute to adiposity and whether those factors differ by gender. METHODS: Multiple regression was used to estimate the effect of energy intake, energy expenditure, resources, demographics, and attitudes toward diet and health on self-reported body mass index (BMI) in a nationally representative sample of the US population. SAMPLE: This study used secondary data from the 1994 -1996 Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals (CSFII) and its telephone follow-up, the Diet and Health Knowledge Survey (DHKS). CSFII is a nationally representative survey of individuals which obtained 24 h recalls of all food intake on two nonconsecutive days. The DHKS data set obtained information on knowledge and attitudes toward dietary guidance and health from individuals 20 y of age and over, who participated in the CSFII. Our sample consisted of responses from 5512 individuals. RESULTS: We found that many of the variables previously found to or hypothesized to influence body weight do so. Our analysis shows that choices and attitudes do matter for adiposity. Moreover, the analysis shows that the choices males and females make often have quite different effects on BMI. For females all the variables we constructed to represent energy intake, energy expenditure, and financial and human resources are significant. Most of the variables that characterize attitudes toward diet and health are significant. For males, far fewer variables are significant. Our tests for gender-related differences show that whether or not males believe their weight is predetermined has no influence on BMI. In contrast, women who do not believe that their weight is predetermined have lower BMI values than those who believe weight is genetically determined. DISCUSSION: While our qualitative conclusion -choices and attitudes affect BMI -is unsurprising, the quantitative aspects are important. The analysis shows that factors affecting BMI differ systematically by gender. Understanding these systematic differences is critical to the design of information campaigns. Our analysis suggests that entirely different campaigns are necessary to communicate the importance of diet and lifestyle choices to men and to women.

Factors associated with women's and children's body mass indices by income status

“…18,19 Further, our results show that these associations differed by the level of household income. Many dietary and meal patterns were highly correlated (Po1%) with women's BMI.…”

BMI-based body size guides for women and men: development and validation of a novel pictorial method to assess weight-related concepts

“…From this literature it appears, in general, that men show a greater likelihood of misperceiving their overweight status as normal than women, and that misperceiving overweight as normal occurs with greater frequency in the elderly, the less educated and those with limited incomes. 12,17 Women physicians recognized the overweight status of their patients more readily than men, but physicians of both genders were less likely to recognize overweight status among patients who were male, considered themselves healthy, or reported being physically active. 12 These findings are helpful in the identification of groups that are more likely to underassess weight status and highlight some of the biases inherent in the assignment of emotionally valenced terms such as overweight and obesity, but they do not provide clear indications about the threshold for perception of different weight classifications.…”

An investigation of psychological, social and environmental correlates of obesity and weight gain in young women

“…Many studies have identified psychological factors, such as weight-related beliefs and the perceived importance of maintaining a healthy weight, that are associated with weight gain or obesity. 3,4 In addition, selfefficacy is a strong predictor of weight-related behaviours (diet and physical activity), 5,6 and is thus also likely to play an important role in influencing the development of obesity. In addition to psychological factors, the influence of social and physical environmental factors on health behaviours and obesity has recently received growing attention.…”

“…The study examines the importance of psychological factors suggested in previous studies as being promising predictors of weight-related behaviours. [4][5][6]12,16 These included selfefficacy (from Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) 17 ), beliefs, including weight locus of control and outcome expectations (e.g., Health Belief Model, 18 SCT 17 ), self-monitoring and attention to weight-related habits ('self-control' construct in SCT 17 ), and the perceived value of avoiding weight gain (e.g., Theory of Reasoned Action). 19 Key social factors included social support for physical activity and healthy eating (social ecological models).…”