Background: Overweight and obesity is a significant public health problem in the United States. Young adulthood is a particularly vulnerable period for excess weight gain and development of overweight/obesity. Although standard behavioral weight control programs can produce clinically significant weight losses, they routinely struggle to recruit young adults, particularly young men and African-Americans. This limits our understanding of the efficacy of these programs for these individuals. Weight misperception has been proposed as a potential barrier to attempting weight loss. Evidence also suggests education level, income status, family medical history, occupational demands, and depressive symptoms are individually associated with attempting weight loss. Against this backdrop, it is important to examine the relative influence of weight misperceptions and other contextual factors to better understand why young adults, particularly men and African-Americans, do not attempt weight loss. Objective: To determine if observed differences in weight control by race and sex are due to differences in weight status perception accuracy among black and white young adults with overweight/obesity. The associations between contextual factors and weight loss attempts are also explored. Methods: Data from 2756 young adults (20-39 years old) who participated in the 2007-2014 National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (NHANES) were analyzed. Logistic regression models examined the effect of weight status perception accuracy and contextual factors on weight loss attempts among young adults and men specifically. Moderation by sex was assessed in the sample as a whole and moderation by race in analyses limited to young adult men. Sensitivity analyses using a higher BMI threshold (BMI ≥ 27 kg/m2) were conducted to ensure that participants with a minimal weight misperception did not unduly influence findings. Results: Overall, 31% of young adults had an inaccurate weight status perception, with a significantly higher number of men, particularly black men, reporting an inaccurate perception of their weight. Young adults, and men specifically, were significantly more likely to report a weight loss attempt if they accurately perceived their weight (OR=3.66, 95% CI 2.80-4.77, p<0.01; OR=3.73; 95% CI 2.76-5.03; p<0.01, respectively). However, there was no moderation by sex or race. Higher education level and income status were associated with weight loss attempts among young adults in models that included both sexes and in those that were limited to men. Although not significant in the larger model, greater self-reported depressive symptoms were associated with weight loss attempts in analyses limited to young adult men. Sensitivity analyses were largely consistent with these findings. Conclusion: Most young adults with overweight/obesity accurately perceive their weight status. Weight status perception accuracy and certain contextual factors are important predictors of weight loss attempts among black and white young adults. Neither sex nor race moderated the association between weight status perception accuracy and weight loss attempts. These findings have implications for future research to better understand weight status perception and improve enrollment of young adults in weight control programs. / Public Health

For adolescents, body weight can be a complicated and sometimes difficult issue. Though the majority of adolescents report being aware of normative gendered body ideals, how adolescents incorporate or reject these ideals into their own weight-control decisions or sense of self can vary dramatically, largely in reaction to their social experiences with body ideals in the local, immediate contexts of their daily lives. The role of one such local context - schools - has remained largely unexplored in existing literature. Using the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) and multi-level modeling, I investigate the role high school weight cultures play in the development of adolescents’ weight-loss behaviors, overweight self-perceptions, and self-esteem. I employ social comparison theories, specifically the idea of who may serve as a likely target for social comparison - general others, similar others, or high status others - to develop hypotheses about which aspects of the school context may be associated with various aspects of adolescents’ body weight. Overall, my results indicate that there is a strong relationship between adolescents’ weight-loss behavior, self-perception and self-esteem and the weight-related culture in the school. For example, adolescent boys, on average, are significantly less likely to report perceiving themselves as overweight or engaging in weight-loss behaviors when they attend schools where there are many overweight boys in the student body. I also find that there is some variation within the school in terms of which peers are most salient to adolescents’ behaviors and self-perceptions. Both boys and girls are particularly impacted by the values and behaviors of similar others, when similarity is defined by same-sex adolescents of a similar body size. For example, on average, overweight adolescent girls are significantly more likely to report engaging in weight-loss behaviors when a higher proportion of overweight girls in their school also are engaged in weight-loss behaviors. The same pattern is found among adolescent boys. Overall, these findings suggest that meso-level social contexts - like schools - may be particularly important to how individuals incorporate macro-level beliefs or values - like gendered body ideals - into their own behaviors and self-concepts. / text

Socialinė erdvė yra svarbus kūno vaizdo formavimosi komponentas, susijęs su savo kūno suvokimu (Jackson, 2004). Kuo labiau asmens fiziniai bruožai nutolę nuo socialinių lūkesčių, tuo labiau asmuo nepatenkintas savo kūnu, tuo prasčiau save vertina, dažniau linksta į depresiją, dažniau manipuliuoja maistu (Cash, Pruzinsky, 2004; Tiggemann, 2011). Rūpestis dėl nepasitenkinimo savo kūnu turi neigiamą poveikį paauglių fiziniam bei psichosocialiniam vystymuisi ir sveikatai (Johnson, Wardle, 2005; Shrof, Thompson, 2006). Paauglių tyrimai atskleidžia, kad nepasitenkinimas savo kūnu paauglystėje yra susijęs su prastesniu savęs vertinimu, sutrikusiu valgymo elgesiu, neigiamų svorio kontrolės būdų taikymu ir didėjančiu vaikų bei paauglių antsvorio plitimu (Neumark-Sztainer et al., 2006; Jackson, Chen, 2010). Prastas savęs vertinimas siejamas su dažnesne tikimybe tapti patyčių auka (Jankauskiene et al., 2008), didesne savižudybės rizika, savęs žalojimu (Rodriguez-Cano, Beato-Fernandez, Llario, 2006; Laskytė, 2009). Iki šiol atliktuose tyrimuose daugiausia dėmesio buvo skiriama su valgymu susijusiam elgesiui analizuoti, o darbų, kurie atskleistų su fiziniu aktyvumu susijusio elgesio raišką reguliuojant kūno masę, stokojama. Nėra iki galo aišku, kiek bendras siekimas atitikti socialinius ir kultūrinius išvaizdos idealus yra susijęs su svorio mažinimo elgesiu, nežinoma, kaip paaugliai elgiasi, jei nusprendžia kūno masę mažinti fiziniu aktyvumu. Trūksta tyrimų, nagrinėjančių paauglių savęs... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Our children grow and mature in the times, where image and media attention to a beautiful body is overestimated, and the social pressure for meeting image expectations influences and affects the development of immature persons. The less physical characteristics of a person meet social expectations, the more dissatisfied the person is with his/her body, the lower is self-esteem, and the bigger is propensity for depression and manipulation with food (Cash, Pruzinsky, 2004; Tiggemann, 2011). Adolescent dissatisfaction with appearance is related to low self-esteem that leads to eating disorders or disordered eating. Such behaviour is harmful to health and causes obesity (Haines, Neumark-Sztainer, 2006). Poor self-esteem is associated with a higher likelihood of becoming a victim of bullying (Jankauskiene et al., 2008), increased risk of suicide and deliberate self-harm (Rodrigues-Cano, Beato-Fernandes, Llario, 2006; Laskytė, 2009). A large part of modern consumerist society is constantly concerned about weight loss/gain methods that promise rapid results (O’Dea, 2007; Bauman, 2011; Tereškinas, 2011). Seeking peer recognition and wanting to meet the society’s expectations young people often exhaust themselves with diets and/or excessive exercise (O’Dea, 2007; Ojala et al., 2007; Sabbah et al, 2009; Jankauskienė et al, 2010; Tereškinas, 2011). Obesity and eating disorders prevention programs are not standardized and are based on parental understanding of healthy nutrition... [to full text]

Background: Modern culture has stereotyped the divine female body as one that is continually getting leaner, with the internalization of the “thin” ideal possibly resulting in body dissatisfaction, disturbances in body image and exploitation of extreme weight control measures. These shoddy eating behaviours/attitudes may involve body mass and figure anxiety, sub-optimal nutrition or insufficient energy intake (possibly even a combination of both) and use of pathogenic weight control measures (PWCM). Furthermore, low energy availability can be a consequence of disordered eating (DE) behaviour, but can also inadvertently emerge in the absence of clinical eating disorders, DE behaviours and/or restricted dietary intake. Various researchers have concluded that dancers are overly-concerned about dieting and their body mass, and tend to be discontented with their bodies. Every organ system in the body may potentially be negatively affected as a result of the ensuing undernourishment and/or weight loss related to poor nutritional behaviour. The aim of the study was to investigate the DE behaviour, PWCM use, body image and energy status of a group of University female dancers Methods: Fifty two volunteer (18-30 years) dancers (n=26) matched by controls (n=26) of the same race, and comparable age and body mass index were recruited. DE behaviour was assessed with the Eating disorder inventory-3 (EDI3), Cognitive dietary restraint (CDR) subscale of the Three-factor eating questionnaire (TFEQ) and EDI3 referral form (EDI3-RF) behavioural questions. Body image was assessed using the Body Silhouette Assessment Scale. Energy status was assessed using a 5-day weighed food record to measure energy intake and Actiheart® monitor to measure energy expenditure. Results: Dancers presented with significantly higher EDI3-Drive for thinness, EDI3-Body dissatisfaction and TFEQ-CDR raw subscale scores when compared to controls. Furthermore, the majority of dancers scored above the designated cut-off scores for the EDI3-Drive for thinness (46.2%), EDI3-Body dissatisfaction (61.5%), EDI-Bulimia (53.9%) and TFEQ-CDR (52.0%) subscales. Bingeing was the most common PWCM used by both dancers and controls (19.2% vs. 23.1%), followed by weight loss ≥ 9kg within the preceding 6 months (11.5% vs. 15.4%). Vomiting (7.7%), laxatives (11.5%) and excessive exercise (19.2%) for weight loss were used only by the dancers. Current body weight was significantly different to desired body weight for the dancers only (p=0.0004). The discrepancy between current and ideal body image, also termed Feel Minus Ideal Discrepancy (FID), was significantly different between dancers and controls, and indicated that controls were content with their body silhouette while dancers were inclined to want to lose weight. A negative energy balance was found in 80.8% of both dancers and controls. The energy availability of 48.0% of dancers and 52.0% of controls was between 30 and 45 kcal/kg fat-free mass/day. A total of 65.4% of dancers and 38.5% of controls reported to be currently trying to lose weight. Conclusion: Irrespective of the limitations of this study, noteworthy observations were made pertaining to the DE behaviour, body image, and energy status of a group of South African student women dancers. This group of South African university women dancers were vulnerable to DE behaviour, had a propensity to be greatly displeased with their body image, and possessed a low energy status possibly because they were trying to lose weight. / Thesis (MSc (Nutrition))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

Background: Modern culture has stereotyped the divine female body as one that is continually getting leaner, with the internalization of the “thin” ideal possibly resulting in body dissatisfaction, disturbances in body image and exploitation of extreme weight control measures. These shoddy eating behaviours/attitudes may involve body mass and figure anxiety, sub-optimal nutrition or insufficient energy intake (possibly even a combination of both) and use of pathogenic weight control measures (PWCM). Furthermore, low energy availability can be a consequence of disordered eating (DE) behaviour, but can also inadvertently emerge in the absence of clinical eating disorders, DE behaviours and/or restricted dietary intake. Various researchers have concluded that dancers are overly-concerned about dieting and their body mass, and tend to be discontented with their bodies. Every organ system in the body may potentially be negatively affected as a result of the ensuing undernourishment and/or weight loss related to poor nutritional behaviour. The aim of the study was to investigate the DE behaviour, PWCM use, body image and energy status of a group of University female dancers Methods: Fifty two volunteer (18-30 years) dancers (n=26) matched by controls (n=26) of the same race, and comparable age and body mass index were recruited. DE behaviour was assessed with the Eating disorder inventory-3 (EDI3), Cognitive dietary restraint (CDR) subscale of the Three-factor eating questionnaire (TFEQ) and EDI3 referral form (EDI3-RF) behavioural questions. Body image was assessed using the Body Silhouette Assessment Scale. Energy status was assessed using a 5-day weighed food record to measure energy intake and Actiheart® monitor to measure energy expenditure. Results: Dancers presented with significantly higher EDI3-Drive for thinness, EDI3-Body dissatisfaction and TFEQ-CDR raw subscale scores when compared to controls. Furthermore, the majority of dancers scored above the designated cut-off scores for the EDI3-Drive for thinness (46.2%), EDI3-Body dissatisfaction (61.5%), EDI-Bulimia (53.9%) and TFEQ-CDR (52.0%) subscales. Bingeing was the most common PWCM used by both dancers and controls (19.2% vs. 23.1%), followed by weight loss ≥ 9kg within the preceding 6 months (11.5% vs. 15.4%). Vomiting (7.7%), laxatives (11.5%) and excessive exercise (19.2%) for weight loss were used only by the dancers. Current body weight was significantly different to desired body weight for the dancers only (p=0.0004). The discrepancy between current and ideal body image, also termed Feel Minus Ideal Discrepancy (FID), was significantly different between dancers and controls, and indicated that controls were content with their body silhouette while dancers were inclined to want to lose weight. A negative energy balance was found in 80.8% of both dancers and controls. The energy availability of 48.0% of dancers and 52.0% of controls was between 30 and 45 kcal/kg fat-free mass/day. A total of 65.4% of dancers and 38.5% of controls reported to be currently trying to lose weight. Conclusion: Irrespective of the limitations of this study, noteworthy observations were made pertaining to the DE behaviour, body image, and energy status of a group of South African student women dancers. This group of South African university women dancers were vulnerable to DE behaviour, had a propensity to be greatly displeased with their body image, and possessed a low energy status possibly because they were trying to lose weight. / Thesis (MSc (Nutrition))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

Dans les sports de combat à catégories de poids, les compétiteurs ont l'obligation de "faire le poids" de leur catégorie, au moment de la pesée réalisée officiellement avant chaque compétition. La thèse vise à appréhender les pratiques de contrôle de poids chez les judokates et les judokas de haut niveau. Elle s'intéresse au vécu quotidien des sportifs, au mode de diffusion des pratiques et des savoirs et à leur évolution dans un monde où la quête de performance est un enjeu permanent. L'approche interactionniste se situe à l'interface de la sociologie du sport, de la sociologie de la santé et de la sociologie du risque. Les concepts de « carrière » et de « trajectoire » sont mobilisés pour comprendre la construction des pratiques de contrôle du poids dans la carrière de judoka(te) et leur évolution dans une trajectoire qui leur est propre. L'approche qualitative prend appui sur une enquête ethnographique d'une durée de 230 jours réalisée dans une dizaine de pays à l'occasion de stages préparatoires et de compétitions internationales. Elle a été complétée par 48 « récits de vie » réalisés auprès de 21 femmes et 27 hommes âgés de 18 à 41 ans, athlètes de haut niveau. Le processus de construction des pratiques de contrôle du poids est saisi dans le cadre de carrières, permettant de rendre compte aussi bien de faits objectifs relevant de la structure sportive, que de changement dans les connaissances, les conceptions et les désirs des athlètes. Les pratiques de contrôle du poids dont les bases sont généralement construites à la fin de l'adolescence se développent selon une trajectoire qui tend à s'autonomiser de la carrière de judoka(te). L'analyse met en lumière des situations de vulnérabilité tant dans la carrière sportive qu'au sein de la trajectoire elle-même / In combat sports with weight classes, competitors are required to "offer counterweight" in their category at the time of the weighing that is officially held before each competition. The thesis aims to understand the weight control practices among female and male judokas of high ranking. Its interests are the everyday life of athletes, the dissemination mode of practices and knowledge, and their evolution in a world where the quest for performance is an ongoing challenge. The interactional approach is located at the interface of sports sociology, health sociology, and risk sociology. The concepts of "career" and "direction" are mobilized to understand the building of weight control practices in female and male judokas career, and the evolution of these practices in a direction of their own. The qualitative approach is based on a 230-day ethnographic survey conducted in about 10 countries during preparatory internships and international competitions. The survey was complemented by 48 "life stories" conducted with athletes of high ranking, 21 women and 27 men aged 18 to 41. The construction process of weight control practices is acquired in the career framework, reporting both objective facts within the sports structure, and the change in expertise, the notions, and athletes’ desires. These weight control practices, of which bases are generally constructed at the end of the adolescence, develop along a trajectory that tends to become independent of the judokas career. The analysis highlights situations of vulnerability in both the sports career and the direction itself

Bakgrund: I Sverige insjuknar cirka 1100 personer årligen i diabetes mellitus typ 1 [DMT1] vilket ställer höga krav på individen vad gäller kost, träning och insulinbehandling. Unga kvinnor med DMT1 lider ökad risk att utveckla ett stört ätbeteende vilket kan leda till kontinuerligt försummande av insulinbehandlingen för att gå ned i vikt (diabulimi). Diabulimi är ett komplext sjukdomstillstånd som är svårt att upptäcka i ett tidigt stadie och svårt att behandla på ett optimalt sätt. Syfte: Att beskriva unga kvinnor med diabulimis upplevelser i sitt sjukdomstillstånd utifrån deras egna berättelser. Metod: En kvalitativ innehållsanalys tillämpades på sju bloggar vilka söktes fram med sökmotorn Google. Bloggarna var skrivna av kvinnor som lever eller har levt med diabulimi. Upplevelser av att leva med sjukdomen eftersöktes i deras bloggar. Analysen resulterade i två huvudteman och fyra subteman. Resultat: De huvudteman som framkom i analysen var ”Självbild” och ”(O)Kunskap”. De olika temana redovisar olika upplevelser av att leva med diabulimi. Slutsats: En förändrad självbild och ett förändrat beteende upplevs av personer med diabulimi samt att det finns brist på kunskap och förståelse om sjukdomen inom sjukvården och i samhället Klinisk betydelse: Studien kan leda till en större förståelse för personer med diabulimi vilket leder till att sjuksköterskan kan ge ett bättre bemötande och bättre omvårdnad. / Background: In Sweden approximately 1100 persons every year get sick in diabetes mellitus type 1 [DMT1] every year which puts high pressure on the individual when it comes to food, exercise and insulin treatment. Young women with DMT1 have a higher risk of developing a harmful eating behaviour which can lead to habitually omitting insulin to lose weight (diabulimia). Diabulimia is a complex illness that is hard to discover in an early stage and difficult to treat in an optimal way. Aim: Describing young diabulimic womens experiences in their illness from their own personal stories. Method: A qualitative content analysis was applied on seven blogs which were found using the search engine Google. The blogs were written by women with personal experience of living with diabulimia. Their blogs were searched for experiences of the illness. The analysis resulted in two main themes and four subthemes Result: The main themes that were found in the analysis was ”self-image”, and "Lack of knowledge”. The themes represented different experiences of living with diabulimia. Conclusion: A change in self-image and behaviour is experienced by individuals with diabulimia, they also experience a lack of knowledge and understanding in the healthcare system and the society. Clinical implication: The study can lead to a greater understanding of people living with diabulimia which could improve the nurse’s approach and nursing.

Female collegiate athletes have been established as a high-risk group for the development of eating disorders due to the high prevalence rates of clinical and subclinical eating disorders, which have ranged from 1.9% to 16.6% and 4.0% to 26.1%, respectively. Collegiate athletes appear to meet criteria for ED-NOS more often than anorexia or bulimia nervosa, and frequently engage in pathogenic weight control behaviors (e.g., dieting, excessive exercise). To date, only a few studies have examined the long-term stability of eating disorders in collegiate female athletes. The current study investigated the prevalence of eating disorders (i.e., eating disordered, symptomatic, and asymptomatic) and pathogenic weight control behaviors (e.g, binging, vomiting, laxative use) in 325 NCAA-DI female collegiate gymnasts and swimmers/divers across two time points – the beginning of their competitive seasons (Time 1) and during the final two weeks of their competitive seasons (Time 2). By Time 2, 90% of the athletes classified as eating disordered at Time 1 (n = 20) maintained clinical or subclinical eating disturbances. Of the 83 athletes originally symptomatic, 37.3% remained so and 10.8% became eating disordered. Significantly more athletes became satisfied with their bodies over the course of the season than became dissatisfied. The athletes reported using exercise and dieting/fasting as the most frequent forms of weight control behaviors, each of which were used less frequently at Time 2 than at Time 1. The results support overall stability of eating disorder behaviors and classification over the course of a competitive season. Limitations and implications are discussed.

This study explores the relationship between internal-external locus of control and some characteristics of overweight subjects in a weight-control program in the summer and fall of 1973. Only white, female, over-weight, and obese subjects were used. From this study, it appears that Rotter's I-E concept applies to weight loss. This one significant finding lends support to research that internals control their impulses better than externals and that internals seem to learn and retain relevant information better than externals.

Mémoire numérisé par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal.