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APPLYING THE PSYCHOLOGICAL FLEXIBILITY MODEL TO EXAMINE PREDICTORS OF ENGAGEMENT AND SUCCESS IN A WEIGHT MANAGEMENT PROGRAM FOR VETERANS
Title
APPLYING THE PSYCHOLOGICAL FLEXIBILITY MODEL TO EXAMINE PREDICTORS OF ENGAGEMENT AND SUCCESS IN A WEIGHT MANAGEMENT PROGRAM FOR VETERANS
Creator
Pieczynski, Jessica
Date
2015, 2015-07
Description
Weight management success is contingent upon treatment utilization and engagement. Unfortunately, low enrollment, poor attendance, and high...
Show moreWeight management success is contingent upon treatment utilization and engagement. Unfortunately, low enrollment, poor attendance, and high attrition from weight management programs are major barriers for long-term weight loss. This study aimed to applying the psychological flexibility model to the problem of weight management engagement. The current study evaluated the hypotheses that lower experiential avoidance, the process of changing, suppressing, or avoiding unpleasant experiences in an effort to regulate behavior, and higher values congruence, behaving consistently with one’s values, predict treatment engagement and successful weight loss. Participants were 183 overweight and obese veterans (91.3% Male, 77.6% African American). Participants completed a demographics questionnaire, the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire for Weight-Related Problems (AAQ-W) and the Valued Living Questionnaire (VLQ). Analyses revealed that experiential avoidance significantly predicted probability of enrolling (OR=1.03, p<.01). Experiential avoidance and values congruence were not significantly related to attendance, and experiential avoidance approached significance for dropout (OR=6.54, p=.08). AAQ-W was related to baseline BMI (β=7.49, p<.001) and 3-month BMI trajectory (β= 0.54, p<.01) for enrollees, while experiential avoidance predicted 3-month weight change for nonenrollees (β =0.28, p<.05). The extant research on weight management suggests that much can be done to improve treatment outcomes. Increasing engagement is a major component of improving weight management success. The findings from this study suggest that targeting psychological flexibility can be a means to achieving this goal. Future weight management research should continue to explore this relationship.
Ph.D. in Psychology, July 2015
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THE ASSOCIATIONS AMONG EMOTIONAL EATING, GENDER, BMI, AND RUMINATION
Title
THE ASSOCIATIONS AMONG EMOTIONAL EATING, GENDER, BMI, AND RUMINATION
Creator
Gabelman, Rachel Beth
Date
2017, 2017-07
Description
The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of the roles of gender, body mass index (BMI), and rumination in the relation of...
Show moreThe purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of the roles of gender, body mass index (BMI), and rumination in the relation of negative affect (NA) and emotional eating (EE). The following associations were proposed: (1) NA is positively associated with EE, (2) rumination both moderates and (3) mediates the association between NA and EE, (4) gender moderates the association between NA and emotional eating, and (5) EE mediates the association between NA and BMI. Participants consisted of average, overweight, and obese, males (n = 140) and females (n = 152) from both community and university settings. Participants completed self-report questionnaires, including the Binge Eating Questionnaire, Positive and Negative Affect Scale, Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire, and Ruminative Response Questionnaire. Results agreed with previous findings that NA positively correlated NA was positively associated with EE. Results indicated that rumination moderated the association between NA and EE; however rather than greater rumination strengthening this association, it led to a weaker association between NA and EE. Rumination mediated the association between NA and EE, and EE mediated the association between NA and BMI. Lastly, gender did not moderate the association between NA and EE. Results indicate the importance of rumination in those with a tendency to emotionally eat. They also point to the impact of EE on BMI, and suggest further studies should examine whether an association exists between EE and weight gain. In addition, results indicate similarities between men and women in regard to emotionally eating in response to NA.
Ph.D. in Psychology, July 2017
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Overvaluation of Weight and Shape Among Weight Loss Surgery Candidates
Title
Overvaluation of Weight and Shape Among Weight Loss Surgery Candidates
Creator
Hecht, Leah Marie
Date
2019
Description
Overvaluation of shape and weight is a measure of the degree to which an individual’s self-evaluation is influenced by their shape and weight....
Show moreOvervaluation of shape and weight is a measure of the degree to which an individual’s self-evaluation is influenced by their shape and weight. Among individuals with eating disorders, this construct has been associated with elevated levels of eating pathology and psychological distress. Similarly, weight loss surgery candidates often report high levels of eating pathology, including loss of control eating, in addition to elevated levels of depression. Although studies have found poorer outcomes among those who endorse overvaluation of shape and weight in addition to loss of control eating as compared to those who deny overvaluation of shape and weight, the degree to which overvaluation of shape and weight is associated with disordered eating pathology, depression, psychosocial functioning, and self-esteem among weight loss surgery candidates has not been examined. The goals of the current study were to further elucidate these associations, including the degree to which frequency of loss of control eating episodes mediates associations. Data were analyzed from 88 individuals seeking bariatric surgery. Overvaluation of shape and weight was highly prevalent, with approximately 49% of the sample endorsing their weight and/or shape had a significant impact on their self-evaluation. The results of correlational analyses supported a link between overvaluation of shape and weight and higher levels of eating pathology, including more frequent loss of control eating episodes and disordered eating attitudes, in addition to poorer psychosocial functioning as indicated by greater psychosocial impairment, depression, and lower self-esteem. While frequency of loss of control eating episodes partially mediated associations between overvaluation of shape and weight and global eating pathology, it was not a significant mediator of the associations between overvaluation of shape and weight and shape/weight concerns, weight-related psychosocial functioning, self-esteem, or depression. These findings underscore the importance of assessing pre-surgical levels of overvaluation of shape and weight among individuals seeking bariatric surgery and suggest the importance of evaluating these attitudes and behaviors following surgery.
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