Counselor physical attractiveness has been shown to affect subject perceptions and expectations. One characteristic which is particularly at odds with the attractiveness ideal is obesity. This study examined the potential effect of counselor obesity level on subjects' perceptions, expectations, and willingness to pursue counseling. Two hundred twenty-five students (146 women and 79 men) participated. Each subject rated one of six randomly selected counselor descriptions, including a photograph when appropriate, on the dependent measures (i.e., Counselor Rating Form-Short Version, Personal Problem Inventory, and questions rating physical attractiveness and willingness to pursue counseling). The data were analyzed using 2 (Gender of Counselor) X 3 (Obesity Level: Obese, Nonobese, Control) and 2 (Gender of Counselor) X 3 (Obesity Level) X 2 (Gender of Subject) ANOVA and MANOVA techniques, as appropriate. Male subjects perceived obese counselors to be less expert than did females. No other statistically significant differences based on Counselor Obesity Level were identified. Instead, main effects for both Gender of Counselor and Gender of Subject were obtained. Generally, the woman counselor was rated more positively than the man. Also, women subjects generally gave more positive ratings than did men. While the effects identified were statistically significant, their small effect sizes and small mean differences may limit their practical effect. Obesity level does not appear to affect how counselors are perceived or treated, particularly when they are moderately obese. / Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services

A case study was conducted to examine the discourse of two groups of participants learning about bariatric surgery: those who used a computer software patient education program and those who used more traditional patient-education materials. Participants were interviewed, given a multiple-choice questionnaire, and given a modified Cloze test over the content. The analysis of the interview discourse showed that participants who used the software application were able to recall and produce answers with more details, examples, and specific information than those who used other materials to learn about their surgery. The implications of these findings could indicate that the multimodal nature of the patient education software program may have been able to help mediate the complex medical information. / Access to thesis permanently restricted to Ball State community only. / Department of English

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Wyoming, 2008. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on July 17, 2009). Includes bibliographical references (p.45).

No description available.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, San Diego and San Diego State University, 2008. / Title from first page of PDF file (viewed July 11, 2008). Available via ProQuest Digital Dissertations. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 67-76).

The primary purpose of this research was to investigate relationships between physical activity participation, weight change, and selfreports of social physique anxiety, physical self-concept and health-related quality of life. A secondary purpose was to investigate personality as a mediator of self-perceptions and quality of life beliefs following obesity surgery. Two studies with differing methodologies were conducted. The first study was a cross-sectional survey of patients who had participated in a multi-component clinical weight-loss program involving a combination of physical activity, diet modification, and drug therapy. The second study was a longitudinal investigation of laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding patients. Amount of weight lost was not found to be related to changes in social physique anxiety, physical self-concept or health-related quality of life. However, physical activity levels were found to be an important predictor of improvements in physical self-concept and health-related quality of life amongst clinical weight loss patients, but not surgical patients. Improvements over time with respect to social physique anxiety, physical self-concept and health-related quality of life were observed amongst all participants who underwent LABG. Personality factors, whilst not predicting changes over time in social physique anxiety, physical self-concept or health-related quality of life, discriminated between two types of obese adults presenting for obesity surgery. Future research could be undertaken to determine if long-term outcomes differ for these two types of patients.

Thesis (MBA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The prevalence of overweight and obesity escalated over the past 30 years worldwide in adults, children, and adolescents. Estimates are that 26% of the global adult population is either overweight or obese. However, the most alarming fact is the increase in obesity in children and adolescents. In South Africa, the estimated overweight and obesity prevalence in adults is 45% and 20% in children below 6 years of age. The World Heath Organisation acknowledges obesity as an unforgiving, formidable chronic disease, an eminent global epidemic, and the most significant independent risk factor to chronic disease. There are about 30 different diseases associated with obesity of which cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, lifestyle cancers, depression, and diabetes are the most prominent. The current rising obesity trends increase the prevalence of these obesity-associated diseases, as well as a wide range of psychosocial problems. Global expectations are that weight-related chronic disease will develop into the most significant healthcare problem in the 21st century. The overarching trend of globalisation has transformed the global landscape into a more obesogenic environment with resultant changes in behavioural lifestyles of increased caloric consumption and less physical activity at home and at work. However, genetic, social, and cultural determinants enhance weight gain, which contributes largely to current obesity trends. Obesity is a major public healthcare problem in South Africa, with African women and Caucasian men most at risk. However, the competing priorities of unemployment, poverty, and HIV/AIDS place high demands on the South African economy, with resultant neglect of obesity. Obesity has the potential to incur a large impact on the South African economy through the reduction in labour productivity, corporate profitability, and national output, especially in combination with HIV/AIDS. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die insidensie van oorgewig en obesiteit het toegeneem oor die afgelope 30 jaar wereldwyd in volwassenes, tieners, en kinders. Omtrent 26% van die globale populasie is of oorgewig of vetsugtig. Die erns van die huidige situasie is egter die toenemende voorkoms van obesiteit in kinders en tieners. Die voorkoms van oorgewig en obesiteit in Suid-Afrika word geskat op 45% in volwassenes en 20% in kinders jonger as 6 jaar. Die Wereld Gesondheid Organisasie het in 1997 obesiteit geklassifiseer as 'n chroniese siekte en hul kommer uitgespreek oor die feit dat obesiteit epidemiese proporsies bereik het. Obesiteit word ook nou erken as die belangrikste, onafhanklike risiko faktor vir chroniese siekte. Obesiteit word geassosieer met omtrent 30 verskillende siektetoestande waarvan kardiovaskulere siekte, metaboliese sindroom, lewensstyl kankers, depressie, en diabetes die belangrikste is. Stygende obesiteit syfers verhoog ook die voorkoms van hierdie siektes asook verskeie psigososiale probleme. Verwagtings is dat gewig verwante siektes die belangrikste gesondheid probleme sal wees gedurende die 21 ste eeu. Die proses van globalisasie het die wereld landskap verander in 'n omgewing wat meer obesogenies is, wat gelei het tot veranderings in leefstyle in die rigting van 'n hoër inname van kaloriee en minder aktiewe leefstyle. Genetiese, sosiale, en kulturele faktore verhoog ook die vatbaarheid van die individu tot gewig toename en speel 'n groot rol in die huidige obesiteit status. Obesiteit is tans 'n geweldige gesondheidprobleem in Suid-Afrika met Swart vrouens en Blanke mans die populasiegroepe wat die hoogste risiko dra. Die probleem is egter dat die kompeterende prioriteite van werkloosheid, armoede, en MIV/VIGS alreeds hoe eise stel aan die Suid-Afrikaans ekonomie met gevolglike verwaarlosing van obesiteit. Obesiteit het die potensiaal om 'n groot effek uit te oefen op die Suid-Afrikaanse ekonomie deur middel van 'n verlies in produktiwiteit, verminderde korporatiewe wins, en ekonomiese groei, veral in kombinasie met MIV/VIGS.

This dissertation explores the making of and research for the film, Fattitude, a social justice based documentary that looks to awaken viewers to the reality of weight bias in media representation. This dissertation reviews the filmmaking process and then engages with the nature of stereotypes about fat bodies. Deeply tied to feminist and fat studies theory, the work here seeks to categorize and shape the understanding of weight bias in the media by linking fat tropes to clearly understood images of oppression, for example the monstrous, the fool, they hypersexual and the asexual. The work also seeks to present theory on the nature of creating media representations of fatness that are not oppressive – making note of current media created by grassroots movements for body acceptance and fat positivity. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2017. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Food insecurity or low-access to good quality, affordable foods affects minority women and children disproportionately (Herndon, 2014; Ivers & Cullen, 2011; Lee, 2012; Wigg Dammann & Smith, 2009). Linked to the rise in nutritionrelated and other health problems afflicting these populations (e.g., malnutrition, obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure among others) (Azarbad & Gonder- Frederick, 2010; Bove & Olson, 2006; Larson, Story, & Nelson, 2009), this issue has been gaining some attention. Still, programs combating weight and “weightrelated disorders” generally focus on individualistic solutions (Orbach, Bodies 2009)—such as increasing daily exercise and vilifying certain diets. Dismissing important spatial and systematic aspects, these approaches rather perpetuate problematic socio-political, economic, medical, and ideological biases informing our understanding of poverty, health and food. This project offers and alternative perspective. Most importantly, it 1) scrutinizes sexist, classist and racist constructs across the literature on overweight, obesity, poverty, and health; 2) examines the relationship between our food system, the growth in nutrition-related diseases, and the intersections of gender, race, and class within food insecure communities; and 3) analyzes interview data looking for important and resonating themes that could guide the development of more efficient local food access strategies. As this study shows, these women’s experiences, knowledge, and strategies have the potential of, not only helping eradicate food insecurity across South Florida, but also combating a great number of the nutrition-related health problems afflicting these populations. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2016. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

[Truncated abstract] Regular engagement in physical activity is proven to decrease the risk of numerous chronic diseases and to improve mental well-being. However, many children and adults around the world fail to engage in sufficient levels of activity required to produce health benefits, with reports showing physical activity levels still on the decline. Perhaps because of this increase in sedentary lifestyles, obesity has become one of the biggest public health threats in the 21st century. Furthermore, both obesity and physical inactivity are closely related to psychological health, and may play an important role in shaping self-perceptions and feeling of general well-being. '...' In the first study, physical status, physical activity levels, and social physique anxiety measures were obtained from an adolescent sample of 259 participants. Partial correlation analyses revealed that physical activity involvement was not directly linked with physical status; however, both factors were significantly associated with social physique anxiety, which suggested evidence of an indirect link between the two constructs. That is, analyses showed that poor physical status was associated with higher levels of physique anxiety, which in turn linked to low engagement in physical activity. In addition, age and gender effects emerged, revealing unique differences in the ways in which these three variables may be related. To cross-validate and further examine these relationships STUDY 2 extended the range of self-perception measures to include a multidimensional assessment of physical self-concept and a global self-esteem measure along with physique anxiety. These variables were assessed in a German adult sample (N = 229), again alongside measures of physical status and physical activity involvement. Consistent with STUDY 1, no direct link was found between physical status and levels of physical activity involvement. However, evidence of an indirect link did emerge as both variables were related to multiple dimensions of physical self-concept, thereby reinforcing and extending the findings from STUDY 1. Furthermore, age effects emerged for physical self-concept, which had not been confirmed in previous research on physical self-concept. STUDY 3 employed a longitudinal design and investigated changes in physical self-concept, global self-esteem and social physique anxiety before, during, and after participation in a 12-week weight management programme. Participants (N = 63) were assigned to one of three conditions: (1) cognitive-behavioural treatment only, (2) cognitive-behavioural treatment and exercise, and (3) non-treatment control. Statistical analyses revealed a small, but significant reduction in weight for members of both treatment groups. Relative to controls, both treatment groups also improved on a variety of physical self-concept dimensions. At the same time, however, significant group main effects suggested that a weight-loss program incorporating exercise involvement may provide physical self-concept benefits that go beyond those obtained with standard CBT regimes. Collectively, these studies add to the growing body of literature on the connections between physical activity, self-perceptions and physical status. They also highlight the importance of involvement in habitual physical activity throughout the lifespan. Findings are discussed with regards to their contribution to the extant literature, and applied implications, limitations, and future directions are considered.