Dissertation
Understanding the effects of weight suppression by deconstructing its dimensions
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Drexel University
Mar 2019
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/q2vv-zp62
Abstract
Weight suppression, or the difference between an individual's highest past weight and current weight, is an increasingly studied construct that has been linked to future weight gain and eating disorder symptomatology. However, few studies have focused on the nature of weight suppression: neither the prevalence of weight suppression in the general population nor how the components of weight suppression might influence its effects has been adequately examined. This study therefore aimed (1) to clarify the nature of weight suppression in a more representative population than has been examined previously; (2) to examine how characteristics of weight history (i.e., highest past weight, duration of highest past weight, lowest past weight, duration of lowest past weight, weight rebound, current weight, and duration of current weight) relate to weight suppression itself; and (3) to determine whether these characteristics moderate the effects of weight suppression on relevant variables including loss-of-control (LOC) eating, exercise, restraint, and weight gain. Five hundred and two participants were recruited on Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) and completed a set of questionnaires. The current study found that the prevalence of weight suppression is much higher than previously thought in the general population (60.6% had lost at least 5% of their body weight), and that highest past weight is highly correlated with weight suppression. In addition, weight suppression significantly predicted dietary restraint and one measure of LOC eating. Lowest past weight, duration of lowest past weight, weight rebound, and current weight each interacted with weight suppression to predict LOC eating, and highest past weight had a significant main effect independent of weight suppression on LOC eating. The current findings suggest the potential clinical impact of various weight-history characteristics on an individual's proneness toward LOC eating. The current study also highlights the importance of researching multiple dimensions of weight history when studying eating pathology and the potential for eating pathology models to integrate these dimensions to improve treatment outcomes.
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Details
- Title
- Understanding the effects of weight suppression by deconstructing its dimensions
- Creators
- Elin Lantz Lesser - DU
- Contributors
- Michael R. Lowe (Advisor) - Drexel University (1970-)
- Awarding Institution
- Drexel University
- Degree Awarded
- Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
- Publisher
- Drexel University; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Number of pages
- 111 pages
- Resource Type
- Dissertation
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Psychological and Brain Sciences (Psychology); College of Arts and Sciences; Drexel University
- Other Identifier
- 10916; 991014632441304721