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. 2013 Mar 21;1(1):e10.
doi: 10.4081/hpr.2013.e10. eCollection 2013 Jan 2.

Do Psychological Factors Help to Reduce Body Mass in Obesity or is it Vice Versa? Selected Psychological Aspects and Effectiveness of the Weight-Loss Program in the Obese Patients

Monika Bąk-Sosnowska  1 , Adam Pawlak  2 , Violetta Skrzypulec-Plinta  3
Affiliations

Do Psychological Factors Help to Reduce Body Mass in Obesity or is it Vice Versa? Selected Psychological Aspects and Effectiveness of the Weight-Loss Program in the Obese Patients

Monika Bąk-Sosnowska et al. Health Psychol Res. .

Abstract

The aim of this study was to assess the strength and direction of the correlation between cognitive appraisal, emotional state, social functioning and the effectiveness of a weight-loss program undertaken by obese subjects. The out-patient weight-loss program encompassed 150 obese women. Assessments were carried out at four time points: at the start of the weight-loss program and then after a 5%, 10% and a 15% reduction of the initial body mass. The research tools used were: a survey, the Situation Appraisal Questionnaire (SAQ), the Emotional State Questionnaire (ESQ), and the Q-Sort Social Functioning Questionnaire. The cognitive appraisal, emotional state and social functioning of the study group changed significantly (P<0.001). Significantly more individuals with a 15% body mass reduction, as compared with individuals with no body mass reduction, had an early obesity onset, i.e. at the age of <10 years old (P<0.001). Significantly more individuals with no body mass reduction, compared with individuals with a 15% reduction, had a later obesity onset, i.e. between the ages of 20 and 30 (P<0.001) and between 50 and 60 (P<0.001). Significantly more individuals with a 15% body mass reduction, compared with individuals with no mass reduction, had previously experienced the jojo effect (P<0.001) and had successfully lost weight (P<0.001). Significantly more individuals with no body mass reduction, compared with individuals with a15% reduction, had a history of unsuccessful attempts at reducing body mass (P<0.001). We conclude that the attitude of obese patients towards a weight-loss program is not a deciding factor for its effectiveness. As body mass reduces, the attitude improves.

Keywords: cognition; emotions; obesity; psychological factors; weight-loss.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interests: the authors declare no conflict o interests.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Age at obesity onset and the effectiveness of the weight-loss program.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Past attempts at reducing body mass and the effectiveness of the weight-loss program.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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