Weight loss expectations and body dissatisfaction in young women attempting to lose weight

Siervo, Mario; Montagnese, Concetta; Muscariello, Espedita; Evans, E. Hywel; Stephan, Blossom C M; Nasti, Gilda; Papa, Agata; Iannetti, E.; Colantuoni, Antonio

doi:10.1111/jhn.12078

Cited by 18 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 27 publications

(35 reference statements)

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“…Many of the findings were as expected; for example, our findings were consistent with previous studies in young women, with larger weight-loss expectations reported in line with higher BMI (35,56) . However, other findings were novel.…”

Section: Differences By Age Bmi and Socio-economic Statussupporting

confidence: 82%

“…Women (mean age of 38·2 years) who enrolled in a weight management intervention were more likely to report appearance rather than improving health as the key motivation for enrolment, when compared with males (17) . Findings from the US National Weight Control Registry suggest that young adults (18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27)(28)(29)(30)(31)(32)(33)(34)(35) years) who maintained a weight loss for at least 1 year were more likely to report improved appearance or social factors as their primary motivators for weight loss and less likely to report health concerns as their motivation, when compared with older adults (36-50 years) (39) . These findings suggest that young women have different motivations for wanting to control their weight; however, these studies were restricted to individuals already enrolled in a weight-loss intervention or who had achieved successful weight-loss maintenance and therefore may not be representative of young women generally.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Most of these studies examined weight-loss expectations among middle-aged cohorts (18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27)(28) or the general population (17,(29)(30)(31)(32)(33)(34) . A small (n 44) Italian study of 18-35-year-old women reported that non-obese women would need to lose 18 % and obese women 23 % of their current weight to reach their ideal weight (35) . This suggests that young women's weight-loss expectations may be unrealistic, but this finding needs to be confirmed in a larger, more diverse sample of young women.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Weight expectations, motivations for weight change and perceived factors influencing weight management in young Australian women: a cross-sectional study

Holley

Collins²,

Morgan³

et al. 2015

Public Health Nutr.

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Objective: To examine young Australian women's weight expectations, motivations for weight change and perceived factors influencing weight management, and to determine if these factors differ by age, BMI, marital status, education or income. Design: Cross-sectional study. An online survey captured respondents' weight, height, ideal weight, main reasons for wanting to change their weight and challenges to managing their weight. Setting: Online survey in Australia. Subjects: Six hundred and twenty women aged 18-30 years currently living in Australia who completed the survey between 31 July and 30 September 2012.Results: Approximately half of participants (53·1 %) were a healthy weight, 25·2 % overweight and 19·0 % obese. Women unhappy at their current weight (78·1 %) reported a median ideal weight −12·3 % less than their current weight. The key motivators for weight change were to improve health (24·4 %, ranked 1), feel better in oneself (22·3 %) and improve self-confidence (21·5 %). Lack of motivation, time constraints because of job commitments and cost were the most commonly reported factors influencing weight management. Age, BMI, marital status, education and income were found to influence weight expectations, motivations for weight change and/or factors perceived to influence weight management. Conclusions: The findings suggest potential implications for weight management interventions and public health messaging targeting young women, to improve long-term health outcomes. Strategies that promote the health benefits of physical activity and healthy eating, feeling better about oneself and improved selfconfidence, and address the main factors influencing weight management including lack of motivation, time constraints and cost, may be used to engage this target group. Keywords Young women Weight goals Motivations Weight managementWeight gain among young women is a major public health concern (1) . A longitudinal study in Australian adults (AUSDIAB) reported that women aged 25-34 years gained an average of 6·6 kg over a 12-year period and this life stage had the highest rate of weight gain among the women studied (2) . Similarly, in a US 10-year prospective study of young adults (18-30 years), Caucasian women experienced a mean weight gain of 6·9 kg (3) . Weight gain during young adulthood and the development of obesity among young women are associated with an increased risk of depression (4,5) , infertility (5,6) , pregnancy complications (5,6) and chronic conditions in adulthood, including type 2 diabetes (5-7) , CVD (5,6,8) and certain cancers (5,6,9) . Interventions to prevent weight gain and obesity among young women have the potential to significantly impact health outcomes and reduce health-care costs at the population level. However, traditional behavioural approaches to weight control may be ineffective for young women, with research suggesting lower rates of recruitment and attendance, higher attrition and less successful weight-loss outcomes (10) Furthermore, recent systematic reviews of wei...

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Section: Differences By Age Bmi and Socio-economic Statussupporting

confidence: 82%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Weight expectations, motivations for weight change and perceived factors influencing weight management in young Australian women: a cross-sectional study

Holley

Collins²,

Morgan³

et al. 2015

Public Health Nutr.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…These findings are consistent with self‐regulation theory , in which individuals with ambitious goals exhibit increased motivation and persistence, resulting in more effortful goal striving and progress. To reconcile this mixed picture of evidence, it has been suggested that the relationship between weight loss and WLEs is mediated by other variables ; these may include age , the perceived origin of the WLEs , body dissatisfaction and disordered eating .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lower weight loss expectations and healthier eating attitudes in older overweight and obese women attempting weight loss

et al. 2015

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Weight loss outcomes in overweight and obese individuals may be influenced by individual weight loss expectations (WLEs). Research on these phenomena in older women is lacking. This cross-sectional study compared groups of younger and older women on their WLEs and related attitudes (body dissatisfaction and disordered eating). Twenty-six younger (18-38 years) and 33 older (60-78 years) overweight and obese women were recruited from a weight loss clinic, prior to treatment. Disordered eating attitudes and body dissatisfaction were assessed using validated questionnaires and a pictorial figure-choice scale. Participants reported 10 WLEs categorized according to personal, lifestyle and social factors. Overall, women with a higher body mass index had greater WLEs. Older women reported lower WLEs than younger women (-14.5 kg vs. -22.4 kg) in all categories except past weight. Older women perceived that career success would necessitate the greatest level of weight loss (-18.5 kg), whereas younger women derived their greatest WLEs from mass media (-28.5 kg). Both older and younger groups perceived that their families would be supportive of the smallest amount of weight loss (-8.4 and -17.6 kg, respectively). The groups did not differ on body dissatisfaction, but younger women's disordered eating attitudes were significantly higher (p < .001). Older overweight and obese women have lower WLEs than younger women but experience similar levels of body dissatisfaction and healthier eating attitudes. The attitudinal constructs underlying these differences may be useful in clinical practice to tailor age-specific weight loss interventions.

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“…Most previous research on body dissatisfaction and weight loss has focused on individuals with normal weight or on adolescents, but not on adults with obesity. However, there is evidence that improving body image or body appearance (rather than health) may be an influential factor for weight loss desire [19,20], since higher weight loss goals result from greater body image concerns among obese individuals in general, and among women with obesity in particular [21]. The perceived need of losing weight and the wish to achieve greater body weight reductions might be linked to anxiety about body image concerns [20,23], resulting in disordered health behavior [22].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of Weight-Related Discrimination, Body Dissatisfaction and Self-Stigma on the Desire to Weigh Less

et al. 2017

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Aim: Currently, health care professionals plead for stabilization of weight and improving health conditions rather than focusing on weight loss only. Individuals with obesity have been shown to report weight loss goals that are much higher than what has been suggested by guidelines. The aim was to determine whether weight discrimination and body dissatisfaction have an impact on how much weight an individual with obesity wants to lose. Methods: In this representative telephone survey, 878 participants with obesity were asked about their experiences with weight stigma, their body image concerns, and about the amount of weight they would like to weigh using random digital dialing and Kish selection grid to ensure random selection of participants. Results: Regression analysis reveals that being female, having a higher BMI, being younger, and trying to lose weight was related to a greater discrepancy between current weight and desired weight. The discrepancy between current weight and desired weight was greater when participants reported discrimination due to their weight as well as internalized stigma and body image concerns. Conclusion: Independent on the weight loss method, treating obesity should include realistic weight loss goals without being affected by social pressure or weight stigma, especially since stigma can result in further weight gain and decline health issues related to obesity and overweight.

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Weight loss expectations and body dissatisfaction in young women attempting to lose weight

Abstract: We observed a mismatch between clinical and personal expectations, and social pressure and interpersonal relationships appear to have a prominent role with respect to influencing the association.

Cited by 18 publications

References 27 publications

Weight expectations, motivations for weight change and perceived factors influencing weight management in young Australian women: a cross-sectional study

Weight expectations, motivations for weight change and perceived factors influencing weight management in young Australian women: a cross-sectional study

Lower weight loss expectations and healthier eating attitudes in older overweight and obese women attempting weight loss

Impact of Weight-Related Discrimination, Body Dissatisfaction and Self-Stigma on the Desire to Weigh Less

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