Premium
Lifetime Cognitive Dietary Restraint in Postmenopausal Women: Associations with Weight, Weight Perceptions and Social Physique Anxiety
Author(s) -
Barr Susan,
Rideout Candice
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.29.1_supplement.589.9
Subject(s) - anxiety , body mass index , distress , demography , feeling , psychology , medicine , overweight , young adult , gerontology , clinical psychology , psychiatry , social psychology , sociology
We recruited 1071 postmenopausal women (initially aged 45‐75 yr) for a survey on eating attitudes and body image. A follow‐up survey was conducted 3 years later. Among other variables, questionnaires assessed self‐reported height and weight, ‘preferred’ weight (what the individual would like to weigh), cognitive dietary restraint (CDR) and social physique anxiety (SPA; feeling of distress associated with perceived evaluation of one's physical self). To characterize lifetime perceptions of CDR, women were given a description of CDR and responded (yes/no) to each of the following statements: Would you consider yourself to be a restrained eater during a) childhood, b) teen years, c) young adulthood (20 ‐ 35 yr), d) mid‐adulthood (36 ‐ 50 yr), and e) currently? 737 women (69%) provided data at both baseline and follow‐up. CDR scores increased over 3 years (10.7 ± 4.1 vs. 9.9 ± 4.4, p <0.001). Mean body mass index (BMI, kg/m 2 ) was unchanged (24.4 ± 4.0 vs. 24.3 ± 4.0, p=0.44), but 23% lost >2 kg, 51 were within ± 2 kg and 26% gained >2 kg. Baseline CDR was not associated with current BMI (r = 0.06, NS) and did not differ by 3‐yr weight change group. The proportion considering themselves restrained eaters increased over the lifespan: 4% (childhood), 17% (teens), 33% (young adult), 50% (mid‐adult) and 64% (currently). When grouped according to lifetime periods in which they were restrained eaters (0,1,2, > 3), there were no differences in current BMI, ‘preferred’ BMI, or 3‐yr weight change. However, SPA scores increased with more lifetime periods of restrained eating. In summary, CDR increased over the lifespan in women. It was not related to current BMI, preferred BMI or 3‐yr weight change, but was associated with increased SPA. Supported by CIHR.