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 26,365 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

A study of 79 female college students examined the reliability and validity of two new size/weight-related measures of body image. The Body-size Appraisal Scale and the Overweight Preoccupation Scale were derived from existing instruments. Analyses supported the internal consistency and 2-wk. test-retest reliability of both new scales. Correlations of scores on each scale with measures of anxiety about being fat, negative body-image affect and avoidance, restrained and bulimic eating, and depression support their concurrent and construct validity. Scores on the Overweight Preoccupation Scale were also related to the extent of investment in physical appearance. Regression analyses indicated that each new scale could be predicted from several other conceptually relevant body-image attitudes, even after actual body weight was controlled.
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PMID:New assessments of weight-related body image derived from extant instruments. 194 98

Obesity is a common complicating condition in a variety of medical problems. Often effective consultation liaison involves recommendations to overweight patients involving lifestyle and health risk modification. Factors that need to be addressed include exercise, nutritional counseling/caloric restriction, and attitude and behavioral change regarding eating. Patients requiring weight loss typically seek various commercial programs that are readily accessible. One major problem associated with such programs is the high attrition rate within the first six weeks of initiation. Therefore, attempts to facilitate longer-term retention and associated weight loss are warranted. One approach is the identification of factors associated with problems in short-term retention and weight loss followed by the implementation of brief interventions to potentially reverse the influence of these factors on retention and weight loss. The present investigation was conducted to determine the effects of such a strategy on short-term retention and weight loss in a commercial weight loss program. Two groups (n = 66 per group) of female participants with a mean age of thirty-eight years, mean initial weight of 184.6 lbs, mean height of 64.3 inches, mean goal weight of 147.3 lbs, mean Body Mass Index of 31.4 kg/m2 were recruited for the study. Groups were matched for age, initial weight, height, goal weight, and body mass index. One group (controls) received a standard thirteen-week group cognitive-behavioral intervention that emphasized the teaching of self-management strategies for weight reduction. The second group (personalized intervention) received the same thirteen-week cognitive-behavioral intervention. This group also completed a questionnaire (Weight Loss Profile) that identifies factors associated with poor retention and minimal weight loss. Targeted interventions were implemented to modify specific problem areas identified on the Weight Loss Profile. The problem areas were based upon previous research which identified predictors of retention and weight loss. The problem areas included job stress, social comfort, self-consciousness regarding weight and eating behaviors, concern with physical appearance, Type A behavior pattern, social support, motivation, and expectation of success. Both groups also received 1,000 calorie/day prepackaged foods, instruction in mild exercise, and nutritional counseling. Weekly weights and attendance were recorded across the thirteen consecutive week period. The group receiving the personalized intervention lost significantly more weight than the control group (30 lbs vs. 11 lbs, respectively).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
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PMID:The weight loss profile: a biopsychosocial approach to weight loss. 280 39

Substantial research shows less favorable body-image experiences among overweight and obese persons relative to persons of average weight. The purpose of this investigation of body image was to compare 102 enrollees in a commercial, very-low-calorie diet program to 258 age- and weight-matched control subjects. Whereas enrollees were more strongly invested in their physical appearance, they held a more disparaging view of their looks. Relative to the control group, enrollees also felt less healthy, yet their evaluation of and investment in their physical fitness were more positive. Obese persons constitute a heterogeneous population, and those who seek rapid and extensive weight loss in commercial programs may have special body-image concerns and needs.
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PMID:Body-image attitudes among obese enrollees in a commercial weight-loss program. 817 Jul 54

The development of a healthy eating style and physical fitness regimen in adolescence or adulthood might be contingent on physical self-concept in childhood. Most available measures of physical self-concept are inappropriate for use with 1st and 2nd grade children, so the present study developed, piloted, and partially validated the 27-item Children's Physical Self-Concept Scale (CPSS), which assesses Global physical self-concept and subscales of Physical Performance, Physical Appearance, and Weight Control behaviors in children 6 to 11 years of age. The test exhibits adequate test-retest reliability and internal consistency. A comparison of 316 normal and overweight children indicated that normal-weight children obtained higher Global physical self-concept scores and higher subscale scores. In addition, the CPSS distinguished test groups of diabetic, overweight, and normal-weight children in a contrasted-groups analysis.
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PMID:Preliminary development of the Children's Physical Self-Concept Scale. 952 99

This study examined the effects and interactions of gender, pubertal status, and body weight on the self-concept of 462 young adolescent Australian students from two different schools. All students enrolled in Years 7 and 8 completed the Self-Perception Profile for Adolescents, which includes several self-concept subscales and ratings of the importance of each subscale. The self-concept subscales ranked as most important by male and female students were Close Friendship, Scholastic Competence, and Job Competence. Females rated their ability to form close friendships significantly higher and of greater importance than did males. Standard body weight was related to students' Physical Appearance subscale scores, with higher weight students having lower self-concept, and postmenarcheal females having the poorest opinion of their physical appearance. Higher body weight males had lower scores on Athletic Competence, Job Competence, and Behavioral Conduct than did other males. Overweight females and normal weight males considered athletic competence to be more important than did other students. Pubertal status was related to students' scores on Athletic Competence, with postpubertal males who were not overweight scoring highest, and on Physical Appearance, with postmenarcheal females having the lowest opinion of their appearance. The mean self-concept score was significantly related to students' standard body weight, and there was an interaction between gender and puberty, with postpubertal males having the highest and postmenarcheal females the lowest self-concept score. The discrepancy score suggested that females felt they had failed to meet their ideal self-concept significantly more than did males. The results suggest that school programs should be implemented to provide exercise and job skill training suitable for all students, especially those who are overweight. These programs, while taking into account students' pubertal status, should aim to improve self-image without resulting in feelings of failure.
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PMID:Association between self-concept and body weight, gender, and pubertal development among male and female adolescents. 1023 68

Much publicity has been given to risks associated with food in Western countries. This article draws on an Australian research study using qualitative interviews to investigate discourses and beliefs related to food risks among lay people. It was found that the interviewees were most concerned about dietary fat as a risky substance related to overweight, both because of health reasons and physical appearance. A secondary concern they identified was the processing of foodstuffs and 'unnatural' additives. The dominant discourses which were commonly used to organise people's ideas included those concerning 'trying' to consume the 'right' kinds of foods, the importance of 'balance', the notion of food as 'functional' for bodily health, the 'blame' that often accompanied moral judgements about the diet of people with serious illnesses such as cancer and the 'battle' and need for 'control' that people with children referred to in relation to making sure that their children consumed a healthy diet. Most people were willing to invest their trust in government bodies and health professionals to provide accurate information about food risks, as well as trusting their own judgement. The relevance of the Australian cultural context for these findings is discussed.
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PMID:Lay discourses and beliefs related to food risks: an Australian perspective. 1599 46

We investigate the frequency and psychological correlates of institutional and interpersonal discrimination reported by underweight, normal weight, overweight, obese I, and obese II/III Americans. Analyses use data from the Midlife Development in the United States study, a national survey of more than 3,000 adults ages 25 to 74 in 1995. Compared to normal weight persons, obese II/III persons (body mass index of 35 or higher) are more likely to report institutional and day-to-day interpersonal discrimination. Among obese II/III persons, professional workers are more likely than nonprofessionals to report employment discrimination and interpersonal mistreatment. Obese II/III persons report lower levels of self-acceptance than normal weight persons, yet this relationship is fully mediated by the perception that one has been discriminated against due to body weight or physical appearance. Our findings offer further support for the pervasive stigma of obesity and the negative implications of stigmatized identities for life chances.
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PMID:Is obesity stigmatizing? Body weight, perceived discrimination, and psychological well-being in the United States. 1625 47

Weight or fat reduction and maintenance among military personnel and attainment of desired body composition and physical appearance are considered important. A high level of body fat has been shown to have an adverse effect on performance in a number of military activities. The effect of rapid weight loss on performance appears to depend on the method of weight loss, the magnitude of weight loss, and the type of exercise or activity performance test used. Personnel who undertake imprudent weight-loss strategies, that is, personnel who try to change their usual body size by chronically restricting their food and fluid intake, may suffer a number of problems. Overweight personnel and their military coaches are just as susceptible to false ideas about weight loss and dieting as the rest of the community. Inappropriate weight loss causes a loss of lean tissue and can reduce, rather than enhance, performance. The understanding and promotion of safe, effective, appropriate weight-loss and weight-maintenance strategies represent important functions of the military system and officials. The greatest likelihood of success requires an integrated program, both during and after the weight-loss phase, in which assessment, increased energy expenditure through exercise and other daily activities, energy intake reduction, nutrition education, lifestyle changes, environmental changes, and psychological support are all components.
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PMID:The importance of body weight and weight management for military personnel. 1680 40

A 46-year-old man was diagnosed as having benign symmetric lipomatosis (BSL) based on the grotesque physical examination findings and subcutaneous fat tissue biopsy. Although markedly overweight, the glucose tolerance was normal and insulin levels indicated no remarkable insulin resistance on the 75 g oral glucose tolerance test. Furthermore his visceral fat tissue was very slight and the circulating adiponectin concentration was high those which suggesting a high insulin sensitivity. In addition, the relevance of alcohol in the onset of BSL is strongly suggested based on alcoholic hepatopathy and the history of the development of grotesque physical appearance associated with increased alcohol consumption.
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PMID:Benign symmetric lipomatosis associated with alcoholism. 1701

No measures exist that specifically assess cognitive distortions related to body image per se, despite their theoretical and clinical significance. Most cognitive-distortion scales pertain to depression, anxiety, or eating disorders. Accordingly, the 37-item Assessment of Body-Image Cognitive Distortions (ABCD) was developed and validated in this study with a sample of 263 college women. The ABCD samples eight types of distorted thinking related to how persons process information about their physical appearance. Two 18-item parallel forms of the unidimensional measure were also constructed. All forms were highly internally consistent and relatively free from socially desirable responding. Convergent validity for all ABCD forms was established using several standardized measures of body image and eating attitudes. Multiple regression analysis showed that the ABCD was predictable from body-image evaluation, investment, and overweight preoccupation. The ABCD uniquely predicted body-image quality of life and disturbed eating attitudes above and beyond other body-image predictors. Heavier women and White women were more prone to body-image cognitive distortions than were thinner women and Black women. Finally, limitations of this preliminary study, directions for future research, and clinical implications are discussed.
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PMID:Body-image thought processes: The development and initial validation of the Assessment of Body-Image Cognitive Distortions. 1808 36


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