Taking action to lose weight: Toward an understanding of individual differences

Rachel A. Annunziato; Michael R. Lowe

doi:10.1016/j.eatbeh.2006.04.004

Taking action to lose weight: Toward an understanding of individual differences

Rachel A. Annunziato
, Michael R. Lowe

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

13 Scopus citations

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to understand differences in obese/overweight individuals who do and do not seek ongoing external assistance for weight loss. Help-seeking was examined as a dichotomous and as a continuous variable. Measures of body mass index, comorbid medical conditions, socioeconomic status, psychological distress, disordered eating behavior, body image, and obesity-related knowledge were administered to a community sample of 120 overweight women (age: 22-65 y, BMI: 25-63 kg/m²). Fewer predictors of help-seeking were identified when measuring help-seeking as a dichotomy than when measuring it as a continuum. All predictors were from psychosocial domains, with obesity-related knowledge being the strongest, most consistent predictor. Help-seeking for weight control in a community sample of overweight and obese individuals appears to be motivated by psychological aspects of obesity, rather than obesity's physical or medical burden.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	185-194
Number of pages	10
Journal	Eating Behaviors
Volume	8
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eatbeh.2006.04.004
State	Published - Apr 2007

Keywords

Dieting
Help-seeking
Obesity
Predictors
Treatment-seeking

Access to Document

10.1016/j.eatbeh.2006.04.004

Cite this

@article{6f52b3be43b242e7a536c5792226f5ee,

title = "Taking action to lose weight: Toward an understanding of individual differences",

abstract = "The purpose of the present study was to understand differences in obese/overweight individuals who do and do not seek ongoing external assistance for weight loss. Help-seeking was examined as a dichotomous and as a continuous variable. Measures of body mass index, comorbid medical conditions, socioeconomic status, psychological distress, disordered eating behavior, body image, and obesity-related knowledge were administered to a community sample of 120 overweight women (age: 22-65 y, BMI: 25-63 kg/m2). Fewer predictors of help-seeking were identified when measuring help-seeking as a dichotomy than when measuring it as a continuum. All predictors were from psychosocial domains, with obesity-related knowledge being the strongest, most consistent predictor. Help-seeking for weight control in a community sample of overweight and obese individuals appears to be motivated by psychological aspects of obesity, rather than obesity's physical or medical burden.",

keywords = "Dieting, Help-seeking, Obesity, Predictors, Treatment-seeking",

author = "Annunziato, \{Rachel A.\} and Lowe, \{Michael R.\}",

note = "Funding Information: The study was supported in part by a Grant-in-Aid from the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues (SPSSI). ",

year = "2007",

month = apr,

doi = "10.1016/j.eatbeh.2006.04.004",

language = "English",

volume = "8",

pages = "185--194",

journal = "Eating Behaviors",

issn = "1471-0153",

publisher = "Elsevier Ltd.",

number = "2",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Taking action to lose weight

T2 - Toward an understanding of individual differences

AU - Annunziato, Rachel A.

AU - Lowe, Michael R.

N1 - Funding Information: The study was supported in part by a Grant-in-Aid from the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues (SPSSI).

PY - 2007/4

Y1 - 2007/4

N2 - The purpose of the present study was to understand differences in obese/overweight individuals who do and do not seek ongoing external assistance for weight loss. Help-seeking was examined as a dichotomous and as a continuous variable. Measures of body mass index, comorbid medical conditions, socioeconomic status, psychological distress, disordered eating behavior, body image, and obesity-related knowledge were administered to a community sample of 120 overweight women (age: 22-65 y, BMI: 25-63 kg/m2). Fewer predictors of help-seeking were identified when measuring help-seeking as a dichotomy than when measuring it as a continuum. All predictors were from psychosocial domains, with obesity-related knowledge being the strongest, most consistent predictor. Help-seeking for weight control in a community sample of overweight and obese individuals appears to be motivated by psychological aspects of obesity, rather than obesity's physical or medical burden.

AB - The purpose of the present study was to understand differences in obese/overweight individuals who do and do not seek ongoing external assistance for weight loss. Help-seeking was examined as a dichotomous and as a continuous variable. Measures of body mass index, comorbid medical conditions, socioeconomic status, psychological distress, disordered eating behavior, body image, and obesity-related knowledge were administered to a community sample of 120 overweight women (age: 22-65 y, BMI: 25-63 kg/m2). Fewer predictors of help-seeking were identified when measuring help-seeking as a dichotomy than when measuring it as a continuum. All predictors were from psychosocial domains, with obesity-related knowledge being the strongest, most consistent predictor. Help-seeking for weight control in a community sample of overweight and obese individuals appears to be motivated by psychological aspects of obesity, rather than obesity's physical or medical burden.

KW - Dieting

KW - Help-seeking

KW - Obesity

KW - Predictors

KW - Treatment-seeking

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/33847287880

U2 - 10.1016/j.eatbeh.2006.04.004

DO - 10.1016/j.eatbeh.2006.04.004

M3 - Article

C2 - 17336789

AN - SCOPUS:33847287880

SN - 1471-0153

VL - 8

SP - 185

EP - 194

JO - Eating Behaviors

JF - Eating Behaviors

IS - 2

ER -

Taking action to lose weight: Toward an understanding of individual differences

Abstract

Keywords

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Cite this