Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2019 Jan;51(1):86-90.
doi: 10.1016/j.jneb.2018.08.015. Epub 2018 Oct 11.

Relationship Between Perceptions of Obesity Causes and Weight Loss Expectations Among Adults

Katelyn M Daigle  1 , Catherine H Gang  2 , Mariko F Kopping  3 , Kishore M Gadde  4
Affiliations

Relationship Between Perceptions of Obesity Causes and Weight Loss Expectations Among Adults

Katelyn M Daigle et al. J Nutr Educ Behav. 2019 Jan.

Abstract

Objective: To examine relationships between the demographic characteristics of subjects with obesity seeking pharmaceutical-assisted weight loss and their weight loss expectations and perceptions of the causes of their obesity.

Methods: A total of 225 adults with obesity completed an obesity perceptions questionnaire (OPQ), which included 4 attribution subscales: biological, psychological, environmental, and lifestyle. Relations were analyzed among OPQ subscales, subject characteristics, and self-perceived ideal 12-month weight loss.

Results: Subjects desired to lose 26.4% (SD, 7.7%) of their body weight (ideal weight loss). Ideal weight loss correlated positively with the OPQ biological subscale (P = .008), body mass index (P < .001), female sex (P < .001), and past weight loss attempts (P < .001). Cronbach α was good (>.70) only for the psychological subscale. White race (P = .02), married status (P = .01), and high school or higher education (P = .02) were negatively correlated with ideal weight loss.

Conclusions and implications: When designing interventions for preventing and treating obesity, patient perceptions should be considered.

Keywords: beliefs; expectations; obesity; perceptions; weight loss.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Wadden TA, Phelan S. Behvaioral assessment of the obese patient. Handbook of obesity treatment New York: Guilford Press; 2002:186–226.
    1. Rucker D, Padwal R, Li SK, Curioni C, Lau DCW. Long term pharmacotherapy for obesity and overweight: updated meta-analysis. BMJ 2007;335:1194–1199. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Low KG, Thoresen CE, Pattillo JR, Fleischmann N. Causal attributions and coronary heart disease in women. Psychological Reports 1993;73:627–636. - PubMed
    1. Weinman J, Petrie KJ, Sharpe N, Walker S. Causal attributions in patients and spouses following first‐time myocardial infarction and subsequent lifestyle changes. British Journal of Health Psychology 2000;5:263–273.
    1. Hartigan KJ, Baker-Strauch D, Morris GW. Perceptions of the causes of obesity and responsiveness to treatment. Journal of Counseling Psychology 1982;29:478–485.

Publication types