Open AccessStrategies of return to self-regulation among obese people: Implementation of goal’s intention and motivation to weight reduction
Author(s) -
Małgorzata Obara-Gołębiowska,
Hanna Brycz
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
baltic journal of health and physical activity
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2080-1297
pISSN - 2080-9999
DOI - 10.29359/bjhpa.07.2.05
Subject(s) - habit , psychology , calorie , intervention (counseling) , obesity , weight loss , goal setting , eating behavior , healthy eating , automaticity , physical activity , applied psychology , clinical psychology , developmental psychology , social psychology , medicine , physical therapy , cognition , psychiatry , endocrinology
Background: Implementation intentions is one of self-regulation strategies enabling priority goals achieving. This method is based on accurate planning of a variety of activities by which goal’s realization is more probable. The aim of the research was to evaluate the impact of the implementation intention technique on motivational and behavioral aspects of eating self- regulation among obese people. Material/Methods: A total of 100 obese people, abiding by a slimming program organized in an obesity clinic in Olsztyn in Poland, participated in the research. In the experimental group an implementation intentions technique for eating habit were applied. The impact of the applied method on motivational and behavioral aspects of eating self-regulation were verified through participants’ answers to the Goal’s Survey and through the tested subjects’ propensity for selecting high-calorie foods. The Goal Survey was developed solely for the purposes of this study. Results: Members of the experimental group exposed to the implementation intention strategy had higher motivation to weight reduction measured by the Goal Survey and were less likely to select high-calorie foods than the control subjects. Conclusions: Implementation of goal’s intention is an efficient technique which improves motivation to weight reduction and effectively modifies eating habits among obese people. Application of the above method in psychological intervention of obesity treatment can constitute one of the factors enabling process of changing eating habits and losing weight.