Evaluation Of Weight Loss And Exercise Treatments On Body Image In Overweight Women

Abstract

Weight loss and exercise may improve body image. However, whether the addition of resistance or yoga exercise to a standard weight loss and aerobic exercise program further impacts changes in body image has not been examined. PURPOSE To determine the effect of adding resistance or yoga exercise to a standard weight loss and aerobic exercise program on body image. METHODS Fifty nine sedentary women (BMI = 30.7 ± 2.7 kg/m2, age = 45.3 ± 6.7 years) participated in a 12 month behavioral weight loss program that included diet and exercise. All subjects received the same diet intervention but were randomized to one of three exercise conditions: 1) AERO: aerobic exercise (40 min/d, 5 d/wk) 2: RES: aerobic exercise + resistance exercise (40 min/d, 5 d/wk aerobic + 3 d/wk of resistance exercise) or 3) YOGA: aerobic exercise + yoga exercise (40 min/d, 5 d/wk aerobic + 3 d/wk of yoga). Body Image was evaluated through the 69 item MBSRQ Questionnaire (Cash, 1986). Subscales included appearance evaluation (APPE), appearance orientation (APPO), fitness evaluation (FITE), fitness orientation (FITO), health evaluation (HLTE), health orientation (HLTO), illness orientation (ILLO), body-areas satisfaction (BAS), self-classified weight (SCW), and overweight preoccupation (OWPRE). RESULTS Repeated Measures ANOVA showed significant improvements in body image subscales at 6 and 12 months (p<0.01), with no significant differences between groups (AERO, RES, YOGA). Correlation coefficients were computed to determine the relationship between change in body image and change in body weight at 6 and 12 months. There was a significant correlation between improvement in FITO and weight loss at 6 months (r = 0.38, p< 0.01). There were significant correlations between weight loss at 6 and 12 months and corresponding improvements in APPE (r = 0.47, r = 0.33), HLTO (r = 0.32, r = 0.35), BAS (r = 0.42, r = 0.29), and SCW (r = 0.50, r = 0.57) (p ≤ 0.05). CONCLUSION Weight loss which incorporates physical activity into the intervention leads to improvements in body image. The addition of resistance or yoga exercise to a weight loss program does not appear to further improve body image compared to what is achieved through weight loss which includes aerobic exercise. Supported by the National Institutes of Health (HL64991)