Health risks, past usage, and intention to use weight loss products in normal weight women with high and low body dysphoria.

OBJECTIVE: There are many health risks involved with the use of weight loss products by normal weight women. The mass media may compound this problem through the promotion of weight loss products and a thin body size. This study tested women's perceptions of different weight loss product ads to determine if body dysphoria (i.e., an over concern with body size and shape in normal weight people) was associated with risk beliefs, past behaviors, and intention toward using weight loss products. METHOD: Normal weight women (age range = 18-41 yr), who were classified as either high (n=45) or low (n=43) on a measure of body dysphoria, rated different weight loss products according to their perception of health risks, past behavior, and their intention to consume the products. These products were a dietary fat substitute (olestra), a prescription obesity medication (sibutramine), and an over-the-counter appetite suppressant (phenylpropanolamine). RESULTS: High body dysphoric women reported higher intentions to use the products as well as increased prior use of two of the three weight loss products. High body dysphoric women did not believe that these weight loss products were harmless. They recognized potential health risks associated with using such products, but nonetheless, expressed intention to use these weight loss products at a higher frequency. Also, several variables related to body image were found to effectively discriminate normal weight women at risk for abusing weight loss products. DISCUSSION: This study found that women who do not need to lose weight but have significant body image concerns were willing to use potentially harmful weight loss products despite the knowledge that such products might pose significant health risks. Techniques utilized by advertising regulatory agencies such as warning labels did not have a strong deterrent effect for stated intentions to use the products. Implications of these findings for public health policy issues were discussed.

Psychometric properties and factor structure of the Worry Domains Questionnaire.

The Worry Domains Questionnaire (WDQ) is a content-based measure of nonpathological worry. The current study investigates an adapted WDQ for clinical assessment. The WDQ was completed by 570 participants (286 clinical, 284 nonclinical). Internal consistency of the WDQ domains was found to be adequate. Clinical participants obtained significantly higher WDQ scores than control participants. WDQ scores were moderately correlated with several clinical self-report measures. A seven-factor structure and a higher order worry factor model were separately subjected to structural equation modeling in the clinical sample. The factor groupings originally outlined by the scale's authors (with minor revisions) provided the best description of the clinical data set. Evidence of differences in the worry factor structures of clinical and control samples did emerge. This study provides initial support of the psychometric suitability of the adapted WDQ for use in clinical populations.

Reliability and validity of the Psychosocial Risk Factors Questionnaire (PRFQ).

The Psychosocial Risk Factors Questionnaire (PRFQ) was developed to measure perceived attractiveness, concern about physical appearance, and social pressure for thinness. These variables have been identified as correlates of eating disorder symptoms. The PRFQ has four subscales: Social Pressure for Thinness, Media Pressure for Thinness, Concern for Physical Appearance, and Perception of Physical Appearance. This study assessed its reliability and validity. Seventy-two women enrolled in undergraduate psychology courses completed the PRFQ and measures selected to assess the concurrent validity of its four subscales. Its test-retest reliability was tested in a subsample of 60 women. Support was found for the test-retest reliability, internal consistency and construct validity of all four subscales.

Structural equation modeling of risk factors for the development of eating disorder symptoms in female athletes.

Risk factors for the development of eating disorder symptoms in female college athletes were studied using structural equation modeling. Three risk factors: social influence for thinness, athletic performance anxiety, and self-appraisal of athletic achievement, were selected for study. The association of these risk factors and eating disorder symptoms was hypothesized to be mediated by overconcern with body size and shape. The study sample was 98 women recruited from eight sports teams at a major university. Structural equation modeling analysis supported the hypothesized model and cross-validation of the model showed the findings to be stable. The results of this correlational study suggested that eating disorder symptoms in college athletes are significantly influenced by the interaction of sociocultural pressure for thinness, athletic performance anxiety, and negative self-appraisal of athletic achievement. If these risk factors lead to overconcern with body size and shape, then the emergence of an eating disorder is more probable.