Explanations for the Success or Failure of

Dieting

•Restraint Theory

•Relapse Prevention

It has been estimated that at

any one time, 40% of the

female population is trying to lose weight, usually by dieting and this has led to the development a multi-million pound “dieting” industry.

This industry is predominantly aimed at females.

Click camera for video

Ogden (2007) suggests several factors to explain why predominantly it is women who restrict their diets to lose weight:

• Media influence (effects of SLT)• Family influences (mother acts as a role model for the daughter) SLT• Ethnicity (more body dissatisfaction in white women than black and Asian women)•Social Class – Anorexia Nervosa was found more frequently in higher-social class groups but this is now becoming more equally spread across the social groups.Peer groups (SLT) – peers are a key source of models and reinforcement. Dieting may become the norm for the group.

Why might someone want to lose weight?

What would lead to a diet being successful?

What would lead to a diet being a failure?

As many as 87% of women have dieted at some point in their lives, yet as a society, we are still

getting fatter.

This would suggest that dieting isn’t working for us as a species.

Several theories have been put forward to explain why deliberate weight loss is so elusive and one of the most famous is the Restraint Theory Does dieting

work?

No!

Explanations for the Failure of Dieting

Important key terms (page 25):

Preload/ taste test – an experimental technique used in

the study of the control of eating behaviour. After a preload meal, participants are asked to “taste” foods. In fact, the amount they eat on the taste test is measured. Dieters tend to eat more rather than less on the taste test after preload.

Restrained eaters – a term used for people attempting to diet.

Dieting Failure - Restraint Theory –Herman & Mack (1975) A01

Dieting is also referred to as ‘restrained eating’

The Restraint theory suggests that Dieting can be successful,resulting in under eating and weight loss because we are successful in RESTRAINING (or restricting) our intake of food.

HOWEVER, more often than not, it results in over eating and weight gain and leads to diet failure.

Herman and Mack (1975)

According to Herman and Mack, people often fail because the dieter has periods of restraintfollowed by periods of disinhibition

“Disinhibition” has been defined as; “Eating more as a result of loosening restraints in

response to emotional distress, intoxication or “preloading”

AO1

Click camera for video

Please rate the taste qualities of

the milkshakes......

Preload

x15

x15

x15

Herman and Mack (1975)

10 minutes

AO3 criticisms?

Then...

Please rate the taste qualities

of the ice

creams..

EAT AS MUCH AS YOU WANT!

What was your level of

dietary restraint?

x15

x15

x15

Herman and Mack (1975)

Eating restraint score

Amount of ice cream

Results:In other words, the more restrained eater they were (i.e., concerned with dieting), the more they ate!!!

AO3 criticisms?

Herman and Mack (1975)

Conclusion:

• They concluded that the results support a boundary model of dietary restraint.

• Restrained eaters have a “cognitive” dieting boundary for

food intake. Once this boundary is overcome (by the milkshake preloads) the

“what the hell” effect takes over and eating is disinhibited.

•So high-restraint eater (dieters) will therefore eat MORE in the preload condition; the opposite pattern to low restraint participants (non-dieters).

This is why diets fail!!!

Elaboration:

This means that... people on diets (restrained eaters), once they have reached their boundary for eating – will experience the “what the hell effect” – and will then actually eat more – so therefore attempts to diet will usually fail.

Herman and Mack (1975)

EvaluationIn addition to the classic study by Herman and Mack, other studies have found that dieters overeat compared to non-dieters. In particular, the restraint theory has identified disinhibition of restraint (‘What the hell’ effect) as a characteristic of overeating

The Restraint Theory isn’t enoughRuderman & Wilson (1979) reported the restrained eaters

consume significantly more food than the unrestrained eaters, irrespective of preload

Not everyone overeatsNot all people who restrain their eating overeat – which groups don’t overeat?

Debates:

Determinism Vs. Free Will

Approaches:

Could it be better explained by an alternative approach?

Also, don’t forget..AO3..

-Independent group design

-All female sample

-Laboratory experiment

Issues:

Gender Bias

Culture Bias

Reductionist

Ethical Issues:

Deception

Dieting Success- relapse prevention

A01

Jeffery (2000) noted that dieting among obese

people creates an initial rapid weight loss which

then slows down.

After 6 months weight regain begins and it was concluded

that the failure to maintain the behaviour change of dieting was the main factor of this

This was due to a lack of knowledge, skills and motivation as well as unpleasant side effects (e.g. hunger, stress or social pressure to

eat)

Click camera for video

Dieting Success- relapse prevention

A01

•Dieting success then results from teaching ‘weight maintenance skills’ rather than just weight loss.

•Teaching people to identify situations where lapses typically occur.

•Strategies are created in advance to prevent a lapse or to get back on track.

•Not treating ‘breaking the rules’ as a failure – that can lead to negative psychological reactions

Dieting Success- relapse prevention

A02

Thomas & Stern (1995) reported that strategies to improve social networks have focussed on teaching spouses or

significant others to provide social support during the weight loss process and modest success rates have been achieved.

Strategies of drawing up contracts in which groups aim for individual or group weight loss targets have also been

successful

Evaluation A02

WeightWatchersTheir success is attributable to the support themembers provide each other – highlighting theimportance of social support

Miller-Kovach et al (2001)Reported that being on a WeightWatchers

programme was more successful that using self-help methods of a period of 2 years

Lowe et al (2004)Weight losses achieved through being a memberof WW were reasonably maintained over a 5 year period