Unsuccessful Dieters Research Articles

Attentional avoidance of high-fat food in unsuccessful dieters

Using the exogenous cueing task, this study examined whether restrained and disinhibited eaters differ in their orientation of attention towards and their difficulty to disengage from high versus low-fat food pictures in a relatively short (500 ms) and a long presentation format (1500 ms). Overall, participants in the 500 ms condition showed a tendency to direct attention away from high-fat food pictures compared to neutral pictures. No differential pattern was evident for the 1500 ms condition. Correlational analysis revealed that reduced engagement with high-fat food was particularly pronounced for disinhibited eaters. Although in the short term this seems an adaptive strategy, it may eventually become counterproductive, as it could hinder habituation and learning to cope with seductive characteristics of high-fat food.

Evaluating the Role of Life Events and Sustaining Conditions in Weight Loss Maintenance

Background. Recent qualitative research indicates that life events can enhance behaviour change maintenance. if a number of sustaining conditions are met. This study aimed to quantitatively test this theory in the context of weight loss maintenance. Method. Based upon their weight histories participants were classified as either successful (n = 431) or unsuccessful (n = 592) dieters and all completed questionnaires relating to life events, choice, the function of eating and exercise and the model of their weight problem. Findings. Successful dieters reported a higher number of life events than unsuccessful dieters particularly for events such as “clothes did not fit me”, “doctor's recommendation” and “reached my heaviest weight”. Successful participants also indicated reduced choice over their previous unhealthy diet, more choice over their exercise behaviours and more benefits from the new healthy behaviours. They were also less likely to attribute their previous increased weight to any medical and psychological factors. This was accompanied by a belief about the effectiveness of behavioural solutions to their weight problem. Discussion. Life events can promote behaviour change for some individuals. This change is facilitated by a reduction in choice and disruption of function over the unhealthy behaviours, and a belief that behavioural solutions will be effective.

Dieting as a case of behavioural decision making. Does self-control matter?

To be a successful dieter, one has to be able to consistently resist immediate temptations in order to achieve the bigger, but delayed rewards of weight loss, increased attractiveness and better health. These long-term benefits are by no means guaranteed as the delayed rewards are more uncertain than the immediate rewards. Several researchers have suggested that the population of restrained eaters consists of two populations: unsuccessful dieters who score high on restraint and high on disinhibition, and successful dieters who score high on restraint but low on disinhibition. The present study examines to what extent restrained eating in combination with individual differences in self-control (akin to low disinhibition) is related to successful decision making on a task that mimics the uncertainty of dieting (measured with the Iowa Gambling Task). As expected, self-control moderated the association between restraint and decision making: restrained eating was related to worse decision making when self-control was low, but to better decision making when self-control was high. This suggest that those high in restraint and high in self-control may be more successful in their dieting attempts because they are generally better at inhibiting short-term rewards in order to gain better long-term outcomes.

Obesity in primary care: evidence for advising weight constancy rather than weight loss in unsuccessful dieters

In view of the limited success rates of all weight-loss strategies to date, this article hypothesises that in situations where previous dieting attempts have failed, better outcomes and health improvements will arise from advocating weight-stability goals. This means the promotion of weight maintenance (to ensure any reduction in weight is maintained) and weight constancy (where steps are taken to maintain existing weight without attempting weight loss), rather than advocating existing 5-10% weight-loss targets for these patients. The majority of approaches to obesity focus on weight reduction despite poor evidence of effectiveness. Primary care remains reluctant to engage in ineffective approaches, yet is well placed to give advice, and would undoubtedly adopt effective obesity-management approaches if they were developed. Despite guidance for overweight or obese people to aim for a 5-10% weight reduction, current trends demonstrate escalation of average weights and obesity. A literature review found little information about evaluation of weight-stability approaches (either weight maintenance or weight constancy), despite theoretical support for them. Yet taking steps to protect weight reduction where it is achieved, and to promote weight constancy (without weight loss) where further dieting is predicted to fail, would have a beneficial effect on preventing further growth of obesity-related morbidity in the population. Some evidence exists to support simple behavioural approaches to improve weight stability, but these measures do not feature in current advice and hence are not widely advocated.

Motivation for weight-loss diets: A clustering, longitudinal field study using self-esteem and self-determination theory perspectives

Background Gradual elevation of body weight leads numerous individuals to dieting and weight loss behaviours. Nevertheless, the prevalence of obesity continues to rise in industrialised countries. The examination of the motivational determinants of dietary modification (‘dieting’) in order to identify clusters of individuals in the first 6 months of their effort to control body weight was the aim of the current study. The theories of self-determination and self-esteem formation guided our analysis. Methods A longitudinal study was conducted with three data collection points (N1=256; N2=135; N3=75). Data were responses on the Treatment Self Regulation Questionnaire, Social Physique Anxiety Scale, Physical Self-Description Questionnaire, Kaiser Physical Activity Survey Questionnaire, and items assessing expectations of achievement and self-confidence. Results Cluster analyses provided stable and validated cluster profiles for all data sets. In the 1st and 2nd data sets, results revealed three groups of dieters labelled as ‘media victims’, ‘try to feel nice’ and ‘older and experienced’. For the 3rd data set, results supported a 4-group solution (‘less adaptive profile’, ‘second successful dieters’, ‘successful dieters’, and ‘unsuccessful dieters’). The need for autonomous versus controlling dieting reasons based on Self-Determination Theory, along with the need for an alternative paradigm in weight management, are proposed. Conclusions Psychological theories of self-determination and self-esteem provide important ways of understanding and identifying adaptive and less adaptive weight control strategies.

Lijnen helpt niet bij emotionele eters

Dieting for treating weight gain and obesity has become controversial, as it is ineffective at its best. Recent research suggests that this holds true only for a subgroup of dieters: Those with a high degree of emotional and/or external eating. In contrast there is also a subgroup with no such tendencies. These dieters were found to be able to maintain their weight loss and also did not overeat in the laboratory. It is possible to validly discriminate between potentially successful and unsuccessful dieters by means of the Dutch Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (DEBQ). This instrument enables the clinician to determine which patients can be expected to have a good response to low calorie diets and who are best helped with a different sort of therapy.

Gut Instinct

Unsuccessful dieters complain that their stomachs rule their lives. That might be an exaggeration, but the denizens of the digestive system could dictate how much fat an individual stockpiles, according to new research on mice. Bacteria in the intestine signal rodents to amass fat, the work shows, and the results might help researchers understand why some people gain weight and others don't.

Success and failure in the measurement of restraint: Notes and data

Objective The clarification of the present confusion about the confounding of success and failure in the measurement of restrained eating. Method Close inspection of results regarding the Restraint Scale (RS) and the restraint scales of homogeneous measures of restrained eating, for example, the restraint scales of the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ) and the Dutch Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (DEBQ). Results Various studies have led to the distinction of two different types of confounding of success and failure in the measurement of restrained eating. The first confounding is associated with the RS and the inability of its scores to differentiate between inhibition and disinhibition of restraint in one person, as a result of variance across time within one person in food intake and binging. The second type of confounding applies to the homogeneous measures of restrained eating, for example, the restraint scales of the TFEQ and DEBQ. Here the confounding is associated with the inability of their restraint scores to differentiate between dieters with low versus high susceptibility toward failure of restraint, as a result of variance across persons in food intake and binging. Discussion In contrast to the first confounding, the confounding of successful and unsuccessful dieters in subjects with high restraint scores can be easily unconfounded, by using a two-factorial classification including both scores on [pure] measures of restraint and scales for tendency toward overeating. For future research, the distinction between successful and unsuccessful dieters is an important first step in clarifying why some dieters do overeat under certain conditions. © 1999 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 25: 441–449, 1999.

Success and failure in the measurement of restraint: Notes and data

The clarification of the present confusion about the confounding of success and failure in the measurement of restrained eating. Close inspection of results regarding the Restraint Scale (RS) and the restraint scales of homogeneous measures of restrained eating, for example, the restraint scales of the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ) and the Dutch Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (DEBQ). Various studies have led to the distinction of two different types of confounding of success and failure in the measurement of restrained eating. The first confounding is associated with the RS and the inability of its scores to differentiate between inhibition and disinhibition of restraint in one person, as a result of variance across time within one person in food intake and binging. The second type of confounding applies to the homogeneous measures of restrained eating, for example, the restraint scales of the TFEQ and DEBQ. Here the confounding is associated with the inability of their restraint scores to differentiate between dieters with low versus high susceptibility toward failure of restraint, as a result of variance across persons in food intake and binging. In contrast to the first confounding, the confounding of successful and unsuccessful dieters in subjects with high restraint scores can be easily unconfounded, by using a two-factorial classification including both scores on "pure" measures of restraint and scales for tendency toward overeating. For future research, the distinction between successful and unsuccessful dieters is an important first step in clarifying why some dieters do overeat under certain conditions.

Exploring the food beliefs and eating behaviour of successful and unsuccessful dieters

Background: Cognitions about food are important but relatively unexplored determinants of eating behaviour. In order to alter nutrient intakes at an individual or population level, an understanding of the way in which food is viewed is essential for anyone working in nutrition. The Repertory Grid Technique, a psychological device for examining how people construe their lives, was used to examine food beliefs in women who had dieted.Methods: Twenty‐six women were selected from 62 respondents on the basis of their past weight loss to form two groups, successful and unsuccessful dieters. Participants completed a background questionnaire on their weight history and eating style, a 7‐day food record and a specially devised repertory grid using foods as the grid elements.Results: Results showed that the groups differed in their eating style and energy intake. The successful dieters had a lower energy intake but consumed a significantly higher percentage of energy from protein. They also had a higher level of dietary restraint and a more regular eating pattern than the unsuccessful dieters. Both groups held similar and complex food belief systems but differed in their perception of what foods were good tasting. The successful dieters appeared not only to hold complex and rigid beliefs about food but to extend this to their actual eating behaviour.Conclusions: These findings highlight the importance of cognitive factors in the control (and loss of control) of eating and illustrate the potential of the Repertory Grid Technique for use in the field of nutrition.

Binge eating disorder in a community‐based sample of successful and unsuccessful dieters

This study examined binge eating and weight cycling in a community-based sample of successful (46 women, 44 men) and unsuccessful (29 women, 25 men) dieters. Successful dieters had lost at least 15% of body weight, kept the weight off for at least 1 year, and regained no more than 10 lb (average weight loss = 48 lb). Subjects completed a written questionnaire and were interviewed by phone several weeks later. Unsuccessful dieters were more obese when starting on a diet (average body mass index = 35.6 compared to 32.1) and were much more likely to have lost and regained 20 lb. Six-month prevalence of binge eating disorder (BED) was 19% for unsuccessful dieters and 6% for successful dieters; lifetime prevalence was 15% and 13%, respectively. Unsuccessful dieters were two to three times more likely to perceive a lack of control during an episode of overeating, to be disgusted with themselves for overeating, and to eat alone because they were embarrassed. Encouraging dieters to set realistic goals, identify potential relapse situations, and interpret lapses may help them succeed.

Problematic Obesity Thoughts: An Attempt to Identify Unsuccessful Dieters Prior to Treatment

Abstract This paper describes a 21-item cognitive self-statement inventory (Problematic Obesity Thoughts, POT). Before entering a behavioral weight reduction program, the POT was completed by 34 subjects. For the 25 subjects available at the 1 year followup, attempts were made to classify the subjects as successful or unsuccessful dieters (based on the weight loss expressed as percent decrease in pretreatment BMI) using the scores on the POT inventory and four POT subscales. The inventory had a high internal consistency (α = .91). A logistic regression analysis of the total POT score identified 77% of the unsuccessful dieters, but two of the subscales, reflecting self-blame and overeating due to negative mood, respectively, were able to correctly identify 85% of the unsuccessful dieters. Conceivably, after further refinement and cross-validation, the POT might be a valuable part of a multifactorial screening and counceling tool for obesity treatment.

Differences in eating patterns of successful and unsuccessful dieters, untreated overweight and normal weight individuals

Behavioral treatments of obesity appear to make two assumptions. First, obese and non-obese individuals may differ in specific eating behaviors or “eating styles”. Second, successful treatment may change the obese individual's eating style to resemble that of the non-obese. These assumptions were examined by comparing eating behaviors of successfully and unsuccessfully treated overweight individuals, untreated overweight individuals, and normal weight individuals. Subject were female college students and staff who ate a standardized meal in a laboratory setting. The behaviors measured were meal duration, number of bites, sips and chews, and the number of times utensils were placed down between mouthfuls. Results did not support either assumption. Obese and non-obese subjects did not differ in eating styles. Instead, treated subjects differed from untreated subjects. Treated subjects ate longer and placed utensils down more frequently than did untreated subjects. Therefore the behavioral treatment program used in this study did appear to change eating behaviors, but these changes were not associated with success or failure in weight loss efforts.

The development of a rating scale for the prediction of success in weight reduction.

A valid and reliable rating instrument was developed that has predictive value with regard to the ability to lose weight. The major constructs that the test was intended to measure were knowledge of the pragmatics of weight reduction and obesity and the role of fantasy in weight loss. Test items were drawn from research findings in the obesity literature and from subject matter experts in the fields of nutrition, internal medicine and clinical psychology. Test-retest reliability coefficients for the new instrument range from .64 to .95. Construct validity was ascertained through administration of the scale to groups of high school students (N=20), college nutrition students (N=30) and successful and unsuccessful dieters (Ns=28 and 20, respectively). It appears that the scale, The Dash-Brown Survey of Fact and Fiction in Weight Reduction (DBS), may be employed usefully to assess the remediability of obesity for potential dieters. The data further suggest that cognitive awareness of diet-related issues is significant in weight reduction.