Weight Loss Goal for Obese Patients
Weight Loss Study Aim
To examine the perceived relative worth of reaching and maintaining a
self-selected goal weight, for obese and non-obese individuals.
Weight Loss Study Subjects
Twenty-five obese treatment-seekers and a community sample of 31 obese
and 64 non-obese participants.
Weight Loss Study Measurements
An 18-item forced-choice questionnaire evaluating what participants would
hypothetically sacrifice to reach and maintain their goal weight.
Weight Loss Study Results
Most obese treatment-seekers would hypothetically endure much to achieve
their desired weight. For example, 88 percent or more would forego a job
promotion, retiring with full-pay, eliminating the national debt, or winning
their dream house or car or an all-expense-paid vacation, and smaller
majorities would suffer loss of half their income or a job demotion. Many
non-treatment-seeking obese would forfeit future rewards to reach goal
weight, but fewer would incur negative events. About a third of non-obese
participants would forgo certain positive events, but few would suffer
an adverse event to achieve goal weight. Within the combined obese sample,
females viewed attaining goal weight as more important than did males,
but there were no significant racial differences. An index of overall
worth of weight goal was related positively to current weight and BMI
and negatively to goal weight as percentage of current weight.
Weight Loss Study Conclusion
Excessive value may be placed on attaining less than realistic weight
goals, particularly but not exclusively by treatment-seeking and heavier
obese people and those who desire greater weight loss. Clinicians should
take this phenomenon into consideration, and public health initiatives
should attempt to place body weight in a more balanced perspective.
Source: International Journal of Obesity
(2000)
|
|
|
com