The transition to college has been identified as a critical period for weight gain; however, only a limited number of studies have examined this phenomenon. The college setting may promote weight gain, thus the purpose of the present study was to quantify changes in BMI in first year students during their first semester of college and to understand factors associated with weight gain, such as eating behaviors, physical activity, and body shape ideals. Significant changes in weight were detected between Time 1 and 2 with a mean weight gain of 1.24 kg. The majority of participants (73.1 %) gained weight and the percentage of participants categorized as overweight increased from 23.1 % to 3 1.4%. Regression models did not reveal significant predictors of weight gain. Paired t-tests revealed significant decreases in disinhibition, binge eating, and number of days of physical activity over the semester. Participants who gained weight had greater body image dissatisfaction than those who did not gain weight. These findings underscore the need for more studies on factors related to weight gain and prevention efforts in the college population.

In the U.S., the Latino youth population is large and growing rapidly and many Latino youth are sexually active. These relatively high rates of sexual activity are concerning because Latino boys and girls, compared to other youth, have the lowest rate of contraceptive use and high rates of sexually transmitted infections (STI’s) and teen pregnancy. Thus, the need for greater attention to factors that influence Latino adolescent sexual health such as sexual risk behavior and attitudes is imperative. An understudied area with respect to Latino youth sexual behavior is the role that an adolescent’s perception of his/her body has on sexual risk attitudes and behaviors and the possible moderating role of cultural factors. To address this gap in the literature, this study obtained data from one hundred and fifty Latino adolescents who completed a survey that assessed sexual risk attitudes and intentions, body image, ethnic identity, and acculturation. Results indicated that both weight concerns and shape concerns were marginally positively associated with more positive attitudes towards condoms among females and with less positive attitudes towards condoms among males. Gender did not moderate relations when examining attitudes towards pregnancy and intentions as outcome variables. At lower levels of Anglo acculturation, negative body image was associated with less sexual risk attitudes among females whereas positive body image was associated with higher risk attitudes towards pregnancy among males. At low levels of Mexican Orientation, more positive attitudes towards condoms were associated with negative body image among males. Results indicated that none of the interactions of participant’s ethnic identity score with the three body image variables were significant in predicting sexual risk attitudes or intentions for either females or males. The findings shed light on the role of body image and cultural factors on sexual risk attitudes and intentions among Latino adolescents.

Many current media images of women have underlying messages that affect our psyche in a negative way, whether or not we are aware. These images convey an unrealistic, distorted view of ideals and perfection, which create an unattainable model to live up to. As women, we should be cherishing our uniqueness, but, rather than celebrating and accepting ourselves, we are taught to judge and conceal. This project seeks to address inner beauty as a reflection of our energy, vitality, wisdom and the mental, as well as emotional, engagement in our lives. The terms perfection and imperfection will be redefined and applied to inward rather than outward appearance. Through a photographic study, this project will emphasize the value and beauty in aging. In the end, I would like to encourage my audience to not only recognize but also understand and accept the difference between media images and their own self-images.

Both eating disorders and smoking are significant problems for Black and White college women. Additionally, these two negative health behaviors frequently co-occur. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between these health behaviors using a multivariate model. Two models, one for full and one for partial mediation, were tested using Structural Equation Modeling. The Model for full mediation tested whether the relationship among general distress and smoking are fully mediated by body dissatisfaction, restraint, and binge eating. The model for partial mediation hypothesized that the relationships among general distress, and smoking are mediated by body dissatisfaction, restraint, and binge eating. Results indicated that there was not a significant difference between the full and partial model and therefore, the full model was retained as it is more parsimonious. In addition, a test of model invariance was conducted on the full mediation model to test form potential differences in Black and Whites. It was found that the structural model is invariant across these two groups. Results of this study may have important implications for future research as well as for treatment and preventative interventions.

Just as scientists develop general conceptual explanations of the phenomena they investigate, individuals also develop intuitive theories about such human characteristics as intelligence, personality, and athletic ability. These theories, unlike scientist's theories, are not explicitly articulated or documented, and so they are termed implicit theories. Implicit theories, in achievement motivation, distinguish between the belief that human attributes are fixed (entity theory) or malleable (incremental theory) and have been shown to have far-reaching consequences for motivation, goal-orientations, and regulatory strategies in an array of domains. This dissertation extended implicit theories research to the domain of body-weight management. Drawing from an elaborate theoretical framework on implicit theories and health behavior research, the present work predicted that (a) individuals differ systematically in their beliefs about the malleability of body weight and (b) these implicit beliefs are related to coping and self-regulation strategies following dieting setbacks. To test these hypotheses, I first developed the Implicit Theories of Weight Management Scale and examined its psychometric properties. Results revealed internal reliability and convergent and discriminant validity. Implicit theories of weight management were moderately related to health and dieting locus of control but were distinct from personality dimensions such as the Big Five and trait optimism. Psychometric properties of the scale are presented and discussed. Next, I tested the hypothesis that implicit theories of weight management would be related to adaptive regulatory strategies (e.g., increased motivation) and to maladaptive coping (e.g., avoidance) following dieting setbacks and that this relation would be mediated by feelings of helplessness and optimism, and by attributions. Results largely supported these conjectures, revealing that even after controlling for constructs related to successful dieting (e.g., dieting self-confidence, trait self-control), believing more strongly that weight is changeable was related to lower reported use of avoidance when coping with setbacks and more effort. Additionally, feelings of helplessness and optimism mediated the implicit theories-self-regulatory relations. Results are discussed in terms of how implicit theories create the structure in which meaning is assigned to events and are therefore important for achievement and motivation. Implications and avenues for future research are presented.

Background: Physical Dating Violence (PDV) victimization is a major public health concern among adolescents in the United States. Research has shown that determinants of PDV victimization are different for male and female adolescents. However, inconsistent findings entail that further research needs to be done using a representative sample of male and female adolescents.Objective: To identify gender-specific determinants of PDV victimization utilizing a nationally representative sample of high school adolescents.Methods: Data from the 2005 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey was used for this analysis. The study population included 6.951 male and 6,807 female students in grades 9 through 12. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were conducted and three predictor models were generated. The first model examined predictors of PDV in the total population. The second and third models identified predictors of PDV in male and female participants, respectively.Results: PDV affects approximately 1 in every 11 youth in the United States, with males and females exhibiting prevalence rates (males: 9.0%, females: 9.2%). Being currently sexually active, using alcohol, engaging in a physical fight, experiencing sexual victimization, and having suicidal thoughts were significant predictors of PDV for both male and female participants. Poor body images were found to be a significant predictor among females but not in males. On the other hand, illicit drug use was a significant predictor among males but not in females.Conclusions: This study provided evidence that there is some gender difference in the determinants of PDV. It is essential that counselors and care providers give particular attention to female adolescents with poor body image and male adolescents who report illicit drug use.

Subjects rated 12 female body shapes with respect to their physical attractiveness, and the extent to which they would be expected to possess various personality characteristics. The shapes were varied using 3 levels of overall weight and 4 levels of body shapeliness. The sample was modified to control for socioeconomic factors and results are based on 297 undergraduates from Caucasian, African American, and Hispanic racial backgrounds. Loglinear analyses revealed that men and women, regardless of racial background, rated shapely underweight females as most physically attractive, sexy, and ideal for a woman, followed by normal weight figures of similar proportion. African Americans, women in particular, judged the shapely normal weight figures more favorably than the other subjects. Multidimensional scaling and subsequent frequency analyses showed that those figures judged as most attractive, sexy, and ideal were also expected to be fairly emotionally stable, and most successful and interpersonally competitive, but least faithful, kind, and family-oriented. Overweight female shapes, while rated as least physically attractive, sexy, and emotionally stable, were expected to be most family-oriented, kind, and faithful. Shapely normal weight figures were judged to be attractive and sexy, and were assumed to possess a moderate amount of the personality traits in question. The results suggest that Caucasian and Hispanic subjects prefer shapely underweight women, while African Americans, particularly women, find shapely underweight and shapely normal weight women to be physically appealing. African American women also rate shapely normal weight women favorably with respect to personality traits. This perceptual difference may help inoculate them from developing eating disturbances and account for the low prevalence rate of eating disorders in African Americans compared to women of other racial backgrounds. It is suggested that future research identify those beliefs, values or behaviors that seem to inoculate African American women from developing eating disorders. Once identified, mental health professionals may facilitate their development in those women who are likely to have eating problems.

Whilst the idealisation of extreme slenderness is widely recognised as a problematic issue, the negative portrayal of larger individuals is rarely criticised for its link with stigmatisation and problems with self-esteem. To the contrary, the representation of larger individuals in dehumanising terms – whether in news reports, advertising and research accounts – is generally regarded as a necessary means to encourage the pursuit of a ‘better’, ‘healthier’ self. However, these negative stereotypical portrayals – generally excluding the perspective and consent of those depicted – can also have adverse effects on human dignity, legitimacy and self-esteem of those thus depicted. Building on the work of fat studies scholars, as well as feminist marketing researchers, this research project seeks to contribute to the inclusion and rehumanisation of fuller-figured individuals, by involving them in the dialogue of visual and research representation. To do so, this research invited a group of fuller-figured women living in the UK and Canada, to ‘envision’, ‘model’, and ‘review’ their own self-presentations, primarily via the use of self-directed portraits, blogs, and conversations. Whilst the inclusion of their embodied perspectives is expected to contribute to humanising the representation of larger individuals – and offer a glimpse into what could be if we started considering women ‘of size’ as authors of their own depictions – it also contributes in filling a gap left by consumer researchers who have overlooked the way larger individuals make sense of their selves, bodies and well-being. As such, this research contributes to existing consumer research theories by explaining the ways individuals can envision their selves/bodies in the shadow of, but also in contrast with, the dominant marketplace promotion of slenderness. In terms of contribution, this research illustrates the relevance of therapeutic and embodied perspectives to understand the self, the body and to engage in acts of consumption. A new ‘self-nurtured’ discursive position offers challenges to the meanings generally attributed to larger individuals, and to the traditional approaches taken by consumer researchers to solve the ‘obesity crisis’. Overall, this research provides empirical, methodological and theoretical contributions to the field of consumer research. It also offers practical implications for the representation of larger individuals, and recommendations for those interested in the social marketing of health to enjoin people of all sizes in mindful acts of self-care and consumption.

Du tissu à la peau, de la peau au tissu : dessiner à vif dans la matière est une recherche sur la matière du corps et ses liens au monde. Cette étude est impulsée par une pratique artistique qui explore la peau et le tissu non pas comme seules enveloppes et interfaces, mais comme des matières plastiques à part entière, afin de faire émerger et de révéler de nouvelles approches du corps. A cet effet, j’emploie ciseaux, feutres, encre, aiguilles et fils, pour mettre en œuvre ma propre perception du corps, qui ne s’appréhende pas seulement en termes de modelés, mais en termes de lignes, celles qui se révèlent à mon regard dans l’image corporelle. La quête de la ligne, ou des lignes du corps sont au cœur de cette étude. Il s’agit de questionner l’espace du corps, l’idée d’une frontière entre une intériorité et une extériorité, en interrogeant la création artistique qui s’attache à œuvrer sur la peau et le tissu. Comment la peau et le tissu sont-ils perçus ? Comment et par quels procédés une réciprocité plastique de leurs champs d'actions peut-elle se créer, et interroger la vision du corps humain ? La sociologie, l’anthropologie, l’esthétique, la philosophie, l’histoire de l’art, la danse et la haute-couture, sont des disciplines qui nous permettrons d’affiner notre propos, et dont le point commun réside dans ce que chaque courant de pensée et chaque œuvre étudiée nous renseigneront sur la vision que nous avons du corps vêtu/dévêtu, et la perception qui en résulte. Le point de vue plasticien génère et répond aux interrogations théoriques proposant un espace plastique fait de peau et de tissu, que le spectateur est invité à explorer à son tour. / From fabric to skin, from skin to fabric, drawing into material is a research on the body as material and its links to the outside world. This study is based on an artistic practice that explores skin and fabric not only as envelopes and interfaces, but also as artistic materials, so as to bring forth and reveal new approaches of the body. In this regard, I use scissors, felt-tips, inks, needles and thread, to work my own perception of the body, which is not only seen in terms of light and shade but also in terms of lines, those that show themselves to my eyes in the body image. The search for the line, or the lines of the body, is at the heart of this study. Our aim is to question the space of the body, the idea of a border between interior and exterior, whilst interrogating the artistic creation which attempts to work on skin and fabric. How are skin and fabric perceived? How and by which means can an artistic reciprocity of their fields of action be created, to question the vision of the human body? Sociology, anthropology, aesthetics, philosophy, art history, dance and fashion design are some of the fields that will enable us to specify our analysis, and their common point lays in the fact that every currents of thought and every works of art studied here will give us some clues about the vision we have of the dressed/undressed body, and the perception which results from it. The fine artist’s point of view generates and answers some theoretical questions concerning a plastic space made of skin and fabric, that the viewer is invited to explore.

TITLE: Attitudes of secondary school students to alternative ways of diets at Tabor AUTHOR: Bc. Jana Polčáková DEPARTMENT: Department of education and social education, department of health education SUPERVISOR: PaedDr. Eva Marádová, CSc. ABSTRACT This diploma thesis deals with the attitude of students to alternative nutritional guidelines. The focus of this thesis is to analyse the interest of students in alternative nutritional guidelines. Theoretical part analyzes the literature, contains definition of target group, high school students (adolescents) with the main characteristics of this age period. Subsequently the thesis focuses on the impact and importance of nutrition on health of individuals during their development in adolescence and focuses on attitudes to food itself, the relationship to adolescent physical dimensions (body image) and also to issues related to these themes, ie. eating disorders. This thesis is also concerned with the general characteristics of alternative dietary guidelines, such as vegetarianism, macrobiotic diet and divided meals diet. The practical part explores the extent of alternative nutritional habits among high school students in Tábor, their reasons of choosing these ways of eating a and evaluation of their attitudes. There are recommendations based on the results of...