The motivation to diet in young women: Fear is stronger than hope

Abstract

This research examined the relative impact of a hoped-for, thin body and a feared, overweight body on weight-loss dieting (WLD) motivation. We hypothesised that the women most motivated to engage in WLD would report a higher similarity to, and a higher cognitive availability of, a feared, overweight body. In study 1, WLD motivation was operationalized as WLD intention and in study 2 as a food choice (chocolate bar versus low-fat snack bar). As expected, those most similar to the feared body and who had a highly available overweight body had the greatest intention to engage in WLD, and were more likely to choose a lowfat snack over a chocolate bar. The implications of our findings for future research as well as the development of eating pathology in college women are discussed.

Does the salience of possible selves mediate the impact of approach and avoidance temperaments on women's weight-loss dieting?

“…This result is consistent with research indicating that mental images of the feared fat and hoped-for self can exert their effects on body image concerns irrespective of body size (Dalley & Buunk, 2011). It also underscores the pervasive influence of contemporary socio-cultural pressures that reward thinness and punish fatness, and which in so doing, contribute to the construction and maintenance of influential possible selves in the body image domain.…”

“…In contemporary western society women appear to possess influential approach and avoidance goals in the body image and WLD domains (Dalley & Buunk, 2011;Dalley, Toffanin, & Pollet, 2012). Specifically, these goals are in the form of possible selves, a hoped-for thin self and a feared fat self, and are the products of sociocultural forces that promote and reward thinness as well as punish and stigmatize fatness (Dalley et al, 2012;Markus & Nurius, 1986).…”

The Context-Sensitive Future Self: Possible Selves Motivate in Context, Not Otherwise

“…1 At first glance, there seems to be theoretical consensus that having both desired and undesired possible identities in the same domain ('balanced' future identities) should matter by boosting goal persistence (e.g., Carver & Scheier, 2001;Oyserman, 2007;Oyserman & Markus, 1990;Strahan & Wilson, 2006). People can provide descriptions of both their desired and undesired possible future identities (Dalley & Buunk, 2011;Norman & Aron, 2003). They care about making progress toward attaining desired and avoiding undesired possible future identities (Vignoles, Manzi, Regalia, Jemmolo, & Scabini, 2008).…”

“…On the other hand, positive possible identities do not always produce positive action. Women were more likely to choose an unhealthy snack (Dalley & Buunk, 2011) after considering their positive future identities. Considering their positive future identities undermines students' goal-relevant choices (unless at the same time current obstacles to attaining their future self are considered; Oettingen et al, 2001).…”

“…Two other studies report enhanced motivation when randomly assigned to consider their negative (unhealthy) future identities rather than their positive (healthy) future identities. Those in the negative future identities condition planned to diet more, chose a healthy snack (Dalley & Buunk, 2011), planned to exercise more, and followed through on exercise plans (Hoyle & Sherrill, 2006).…”