The long-term objectives are to conduct studies that contribute to the knowledge and treatment of overweight women. Research indicates that the number of overweight females is on the rise despite numerous approaches to weight control. Women continue to suffer the negative physical, psychological, and financial consequences of weight cycling. Weight cycling, defined as repeated periods of weight loss followed by weight regain, recently has been found to be related to increased adiposity, which, in turn, holds important health risks. Nurses are confused about appropriate interventions for overweight women who weight cycle. Apter's reversal theory, a theory of arousal, motivation, and action, has the potential for explaining motivations for overeating in women who weight cycle. The overall research objective of the proposed studies is to develop nursing interventions to assist overweight women to stop weight cycling and to promote permanent weight control. There are three specific aims of this proposal.
AIM 1 is to enhance the Principal Investigator's (PI) research knowledge and skills to conduct two proposed studies and to continue a program of research, including study of Apter's reversal theory, [general and group counseling theory and techniques], and statistical techniques for categorical and multivariate data analyses.
AIM 2 is to conduct a study (Study I) to compare overweight women who weight cycle and normal weight women who do not weight cycle on metamotivational state dominance and metamotivational states during situations in which they overeat and resist overeating.
AIM 3 is to conduct an intervention development study (Study II) to test interventions to decrease overeating responses associated with certain metamotivational states in overweight women who weight cycle. To address Aim 2, a correlational study will include 65 overweight adult female subjects with a weight cycling history and 65 normal weight adult females without a weight cycling history. To answer six research questions, subjects will be compared on responses to three objective measures to determine if overweight subjects are dominant in certain metamotivational states compared to normal weight subjects; additionally, 60 subjects randomly assigned from overweight and normal weight groups will have a semi- structured interview to determine differences between overweight women overeating in response to unpleasant feelings associated with metamotivational states compared to normal weight subjects. To address Aim 3, Study I results will be used to design Study II, an intervention development study to explore interventions to decrease overeating in response to unpleasant feelings. Over twelve weeks (32 hours total) overweight female subjects who weight cycle (35 control and 35 experimental) will receive group counseling on how to stop overeating and do aerobic exercise. Additionally, experimental subjects will receive group counseling using strategies based in reversal theory to decrease overeating in response to unpleasant feelings. Subjects will be tested using physical and questionnaire measures and personal journal recordings at entry, one, two, three, and six months.
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