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Dissertation
Food intake underreporting in obese patients seeking weight loss treatment
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Allegheny University of the Health Sciences
Aug 1998
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/00003936
Abstract
The high prevalence of obesity in the United States poses a serious threat to the health of Americans. Despite the potential medical, social, and psychological complications associated with obesity, the prevalence of this condition continues to rise. Hence, researchers have begun to investigate possible factors that may be related to such elevated rates of overweight, in hopes of achieving better success with weight control. Recent formulations concerning the causes of obesity have emphasized physiological factors such as efficient metabolism. However, the advent of advanced techniques to measure energy expenditure has led researchers to conclude that, in many instances, obesity may be related to inaccurate self-reports of food intake. Not only has research shown that people in general tend to underreport their intake, but also that certain groups, including obese people and restrained eaters, are more likely to underreport than others. Consequently, not only may underreporting be problematic in general, but it may be especially troublesome if those individuals who are in greatest need of weight control are most prone to underreporting. Because unreported intake cannot be modified in treatment, underreporting may have deleterious effects on weight loss efforts. The present study examined the prevalence of underreporting in a sample of 68 obese women seeking weight loss treatment. Several variables were explored to examine mechanisms which may give rise to underreporting, as well as to identify subgroups of individuals who tend to underreport. Based on the literature, the predictor variables included body mass index, restraint, body image dissatisfaction, and nutritional dissimulation. It was hypothesized that if these variables accounted for a substantial percentage of the total variance in underreporting, then they might be clinically useful tools with which to identify apparent underreporters. In addition, several exploratory analyses were conducted to examine such factors as the relationship between underreporting and satisfaction with weight loss and the degree to which people are aware that they underreport. The results showed that body mass index, restraint, and nutritional dissimulation were all related to food intake underreporting. In addition, all three variables were significant predictors of underreporting in various regression models. Body image was the only predictor variable that displayed no significant relationship with underreporting. The exploratory analyses revealed that underreporting was at least partially out of participants' awareness. No significant relationship was detected between satisfaction with weight loss and underreporting.
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Details
- Title
- Food intake underreporting in obese patients seeking weight loss treatment
- Creators
- Jillian D. Buchwald
- Contributors
- Michael R. Lowe (Advisor) - Drexel University, Allegheny University of the Health Sciences (1996-1998)
- Awarding Institution
- Allegheny University of the Health Sciences
- Degree Awarded
- Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
- Publisher
- Allegheny University of the Health Sciences; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Number of pages
- viii, 151, [39] pages
- Resource Type
- Dissertation
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Allegheny University of the Health Sciences (1996-1998); Clinical and Health Psychology [Historical]; School of Health Professions (1996-1998)
- Other Identifier
- 991021888808104721