Reciprocal effects among changes in weight, body image, and other psychological factors during behavioral obesity treatment: a mediation analysis

2009

Effects of Weight and Body Image Changes During Obesity Treatment

Sample size: 193 publication 10 minutes Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): António L. Palmeira, David A. Markland, Marlene N. Silva, Teresa L. Branco, Sandra C. Martins, Cláudia S. Minderico, Paulo N. Vieira, José T. Barata, Sidónio O. Serpa, Luis B. Sardinha, Pedro J. Teixeira

Primary Institution: Faculty of Human Kinetics, Technical University of Lisbon

Hypothesis

Changes in body image and subjective well-being would both mediate and be mediated by weight change.

Conclusion

Changes in weight and body image may reciprocally affect each other during the course of behavioral obesity treatment.

Supporting Evidence

Weight loss in the intervention group was significantly greater than in the comparison group.
Body size dissatisfaction decreased more in the intervention group than in the comparison group.
Improvements in psychosocial variables were observed in both groups, but treatment-related differences were non-significant.

Takeaway

When people lose weight, they often feel better about their bodies, and feeling better about their bodies can also help them lose weight.

Methodology

Participants were women in a 12-month obesity treatment program, with weight and psychosocial variables measured at baseline and treatment's end, using multiple regression for mediation analysis.