Weight Fluctuation, Bulimic Symptoms, and Self-Efficacy for Control of Eating

Abstract

College students who reported recent weight fluctuations of 15 pounds represented 15% of the men (N = 161) and 22% of the women (N = 301) in the study. Comparisons were made with students whose weight had remained stable on 4 subscales of the Eating Disorders Inventory (Bulimia, Body Dissatisfaction, Drive for Thinness, and Interoceptive Awareness), on the Washington Self-Description Questionnaire, and on the Situational Appetite Measure. A MANOVA supported gender differences, with women showing greater levels of body dissatisfaction and concern for thinness. Students whose weight had fluctuated were differentiated from students whose weight had been stable, with weight fluctuations being most strongly related to greater body dissatisfaction and lower levels of self-efficacy for control of eating. Results support the use of a relapse model for weight fluctuation, emphasizing the potential importance of low self-efficacy as a moderator of repeated weight fluctuation.