Commercial Programs: Improving Eating and Exercising Behaviour to Reduce Weight Through Increased Self-Efficacy

Abstract

The global obesity epidemic has been increasing for four decades, yet sustained prevention efforts have scarcely begun (Finucane et al. 2011). The rates of overweight and obesity amongst adults have doubled over the past two decades with Australia now being ranked as one of the fattest developed nations (ABS 2006). Obesity is a complex problem, with both poor nutrition and low rates of physical activity contributing to its prevalence. The Michelle Bridges 12 Week Body Transformation (12WBT) program seeks to increase participant’s self-efficacy for healthy eating and regular exercising to reduce or maintain their weight by providing a holistic approach using a range of online support tools. Self-efficacy comprises two parts: outcome expectancy which is the belief that a particular behaviour will lead to a certain outcome and self-efficacy expectancy which is the personal conviction that one is able to successfully perform those behaviours to produce the desired outcome (Bandura 1977). In order to test the differences between the 12WBT program participants and a control group who currently had a weight management goal, a sample of 820 Australian participants, of which 516 were currently participating in the 12WBT, completed an online survey at three time points, week 1 (T1), week 12 (T2) and follow-up (T3), 12 weeks after program ceased. Previously validated items were adapted: self-efficacy (Bandura 1977), and eating and exercising behaviour (East et al. 2005). Data were analysed using SPSS software. The mean age for the entire sample (n = 820) was 36.32 (10.35), with the mean age for 12WBT participants (n = 516), 38.30 (10.71) and control participants (n = 304), 32.95 (8.75). The results reveal significant differences between the 12WBT participants and the control participants in terms of self-efficacy and actual behaviour for healthy eating and exercise behaviour across the three time points. Importantly, the results show a significant difference in weight loss across time, with 12WBT participants maintaining their weight loss 3 months after program completion. The results of this research demonstrate using a holistic weight management program, such as 12WBT has the potential to increase participants’ self-efficacy, which in turn increases healthy eating and exercising behaviour. Higher levels of healthy eating and exercise behaviour were associated with higher levels of weight change outcomes during the program and beyond program participation. The findings from this study contribute new empirical evidence to the literature and are consistent with the argument a persons’ self-efficacy is influenced by the support they receive.