Higher Restraint Scores Research Articles

Restraint, obesity and bulimia

Two studies examined the relations between the construct of restraint and the problems of obesity and bulimia. Female college students completed the Restraint Questionnaire and measures to assess their degree of overweight and the extent to which they experienced symptoms of bulimia. The relations of the Restraint Scale and its two subscales [Weight Fluctuation (WF) and Concern with Dieting (CD)] with degree of overweight and bulimia were examined. The results revealed that Restraint scores were significantly correlated with both degree of overweight and number of bulimic symptoms. The relation between degree of overweight and restraint reflected a shared variance due to weight fluctuation, while the relation between bulimia and restraint reflected a shared variance due to concern with dieting. The finding that high Restraint scores among the obese do not necessarily reflect a high degree of concern about dieting, may help explain the puzzling finding that despite their high Restraint scores, obese individuals show eating patterns similar to those of normal-weight unrestrained eaters. The results of these studies also suggest that restraint theory with its focus on concern with dieting may be relevant to understanding bulimia, a disorder characterized by such concern.