Book Synopsis Associations Among Obesity-Related Guilt, Shame, and Coping by :
Download or read book Associations Among Obesity-Related Guilt, Shame, and Coping written by and published by . This book was released on 2008 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Psychological factors proved to have significant influence on the outcome and success of the treatment of obesity, and there might be a psychological mechanism explaining why only a subgroup of the obese population suffers from being overweight. The main hypothesis of this work is that weight-related shame and guilt feelings are psychological factors crucial for both emotional well-being and the success of weight loss attempts. Prior studies found suggestive evidence that this hypothesis might be valid: Obese individuals are likely to experience weight-related shame feelings through the contrast of an overtly visible stigma and the omnipresent thin ideal in society. Weight-related guilt feelings are likely experienced since weight control is still viewed as a matter of willpower by obese as well as nonobese individuals, but unfortunately most weight loss attempts do not remain successful. Consequently, the three manuscripts address the following research questions: Are weight-and body-related shame and guilt concerning weight control separate constructs? Are weight-related shame and guilt feelings associated to BMI? Are shame-based or guilt-based coping responses predictive of weight change? Is it possible to minimize guilt and shame feelings about eating through a counseling approach emphasizing genetic factors in the development of obesity? The first manuscript presents the evaluation of the psychometric properties of a new self-report measure of weight- and body-related shame and guilt (WEB-SG) in a sample of 331 obese individuals. The factorial structure of the WEB-SG supported a two-factor conceptualization. The WEB-SG subscales proved to be internally consistent and temporally stable. The construct validity of the subscales was evidenced by a substantial overlap of common variance with other shame and guilt measures. Also, the subscales showed differential correlation patterns to other scales, but were not substantially associated to BMI. Thus, it appears that.