title: Defined weight expectations in overweight women: anthropometrical, psychological and eating behavioral correlates.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine associations between defined weight expectations and anthropometric profile and to identify psychological and eating behavioral factors that characterize women having more realistic weight expectations.
  
  
  METHODS
  A nonrandom sample of 154 overweight/obese women completed the 'Goals and Relative Weight Questionnaire', which assessed four weight expectations: (1) dream weight (whatever wanted to weight); (2) happy weight (would be happy to achieve); (3) acceptable weight (could accept even if not happy with it); and (4) disappointed weight (would not view as a successful achievement). Psychological assessments evaluated dysphoria, self-esteem, satisfaction with one's body (i.e., body esteem) and weight-related quality of life. The 'Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire' assessed eating behaviors: (1) cognitive dietary restraint (control of food intake), (2) disinhibition (overconsumption of food with a loss of control), and (3) susceptibility to hunger (food intake in response to feelings and perceptions of hunger).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Women's expectations for their dream (60.6+/-6.0 kg), happy (65.2+/-6.4 kg) and acceptable (67.9+/-6.8 kg) weights corresponded to higher percentages of weight loss (24.2+/-6.6% or 19.8+/-7.1 kg, 18.6+/-5.8% or 15.2+/-6.0 kg and 15.2+/-5.7% or 12.6+/-5.8 kg, respectively) than goals recommended for overweight individuals. Defined weight expectations were positively associated with current weight and body mass index (BMI; 0.37 < or = r < or = 0.85; P<0.0001). When women were matched one by one for their current BMI, but showing different happy BMI, women with a more realistic happy BMI were older (P=0.03) and were characterized by a greater satisfaction towards body weight (P=0.04), a higher score for flexible restraint (P=0.003) and a lower score for susceptibility to hunger (P=0.02) than women with a less realistic happy BMI.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that having more realistic weight expectations is related to healthier psychological and eating behavioral characteristics.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Institute of Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods, Laval University, Québec, Canada.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Provencher
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bégin
authors.forename: M-P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Gagnon-Girouard
authors.forename: H C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Gagnon
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tremblay
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Boivin
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lemieux
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000886:Anthropometry; D001828:Body Image; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D004032:Diet; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006040:Goals; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D050177:Overweight / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012649:Self Concept; D015431:Weight Loss