Examining the role of body image, body mass index, body esteem, and perfectionism in anti-fat attitudes : a comparison of gymnasium and non-gymnasium users : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Psychology at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand

The aim of this study was to examine the interactions between body mass index (BMI), body image, body esteem, perfectionism, and anti-fat attitudes (AFA) within a New Zealand sample of 39 regular gymnasium (gym) users and 33 non-gym users. An online questionnaire was administered to assess BMI, body image, body esteem, perfectionism, and implicit and explicit anti-fat attitudes. Results showed high BMI was associated with greater weight dissatisfaction, regardless of gender or gym use. BMI was positively associated with body and appearance dissatisfaction, but only among non-gym users and females. Regular gym users displayed greater weight preoccupation, overall explicit AFA, and fear of weight gain, compared to non-gym users. Females reported higher appearance, body, and weight dissatisfaction, and lower overall explicit AFA, dislike of overweight individuals, and willpower, compared to males. Implicit and explicit AFA were weakly associated, except among females as implicit AFA significantly correlated with overall explicit AFA and fear of weight gain. A relationship was found between body image and explicit AFA. Specifically, high weight preoccupation correlated with greater overall explicit AFA, regardless of gender or gym use. Furthermore, high appearance and body dissatisfaction and greater weight preoccupation was associated with greater fear of weight gain. Regular gym users high in appearance investment displayed greater fear of weight gain, whereas non-gym users with greater investment in physical appearance reported greater dislike of overweight individuals. Greater weight preoccupation, body and weight dissatisfaction, and investment in physical appearance were associated with greater willpower among men, whereas only weight preoccupation correlated with willpower among women. Body image correlated with implicit AFA, but only among non-gym users and females, such that individuals with high body dissatisfaction and greater weight preoccupation displayed greater implicit AFA. No moderation or mediation effect was found for body esteem on the relationship between body image and AFA. However, perfectionism mediated the effect of body image on AFA. Specifically, maladaptive perfectionism mediated the relationship between Appearance Orientation and overall explicit AFA, Appearance Orientation and Dislike, Appearance Orientation and Fear, Overweight Preoccupation and overall explicit AFA, and Overweight Preoccupation and Fear. Directions for future research and implications within a fitness context are discussed

Health Risks, Past Usage, and Intention to Use Weight Loss Products in Normal Weight Women with High and Low Body Dysphoria

Objective: There are many health risks involved with the use of weight loss products by normal weight women. The mass media may compound this problem through the promotion of weight loss products and a thin body size. This study tested women\u27s perceptions of different weight loss product ads to determine if body dysphoria (i.e., an over concern with body size and shape in normal weight people) was associated with risk beliefs, past behaviors, and intention toward using weight loss products. Method: Normal weight women (age range = 18-41 yr), who were classified as either high (n=45) or low (n=43) on a measure of body dysphoria, rated different weight loss products according to their perception of health risks, past behavior, and their intention to consume the products. These products were a dietary fat substitute (olestra), a prescription obesity medication (sibutramine), and an over-the-counter appetite suppressant (phenylpropanolamine). Results: High body dysphoric women reported higher intentions to use the products as well as increased prior use of two of the three weight loss products. High body dysphoric women did not believe that these weight loss products were harmless. They recognized potential health risks associated with using such products, but nonetheless, expressed intention to use these weight loss products at a higher frequency. Also, several variables related to body image were found to effectively discriminate normal weight women at risk for abusing weight loss products. Discussion: This study found that women who do not need to lose weight but have significant body image concerns were willing to use potentially harmful weight loss products despite the knowledge that such products might pose significant health risks. Techniques utilized by advertising regulatory agencies such as warning labels did not have a strong deterrent effect for stated intentions to use the products. Implications of these findings for public health policy issues were discussed

Nutrient Digestion and Body Weight Gain of Balinese Cows Getting Basic Ration of Spear Grass and Rosewood Leaves Supplemented with Falcata Tree Leaves

A study had been conducted to find out nutrient digestion and body weight gain of Balinese cows getting a basic ration of spear grass and Rosewood leaves supplemented with Falcata tree leaves. The study was using complete randomized block design with 4 ration treatments and 3 times repetition. Each repetition was using three Balinese cows. The weights of cows being used were in the range of 83-181 kg. Basic ration being given was arranged based on the percentage of dry ingredients namely: 80% of spear grass + 20% of rosewood leaves (A), 80% of spear grass + 20% of rosewood leaves + 10% of falcata tree leaves (B), 80% of spear grass + 20% of rosewood leaves + 15% of falcata tree leaves (C), and  80% of spear grass + 20% of rosewood leaves + 20% of falcata tree leaves (D), The variables being measured were: nutrient digestion and body weight gain. The result of the study showed that with the administration of 20% falcata tree leaves in the basic ration, it differed significantly (P<0.05) in increasing nutrient digestion and daily weight gain. The result of the study concluded that with the administration of falcata tree leaves in the basic ration of spear grass and rosewood leaves capable to increase nutrient digestion so that bacteria would optimally increase the utilization of fodder and led to a high weight gain of Balinese cows.&nbsp

Body Weight and Statistic Vital of Texel Sheep in Wonosobo District by Giving the Ramie Hay as an Additional Woof

Kuntjoro A, Sutarno, Astirin OP. 2009. Body weight and statistic vital of Texel sheep in Wonosobo District by giving theramie hay as an additional woof. Nusantara Bioscience 1: 23-30. This research is aimed to observe the body weight and statistic vitalmeasurement of 50 Texel sheep. Sheep are classified into five treatments of giving woof P0 (giving tree greenish woof withoutconcentrate), P1 (giving greenish woof and concentrate without adding the ramie hay/0%) concentrate), P2 (giving greenish woof andconcentrate by adding 10%) ramie hay), P3 (giving greenish woof and concentrate by adding 20%) ramie hay), P4 (giving greenishwoof and concentrate by adding 30%) ramie hay), every treatment was repeated 10 times. The result shows that even it can’t yet replacethe concentrate function, but adding ramie hay as much as 10%), 20%) and 30%) on sheep woof can increase the body weight’s growthrespectively 186.67 g/day, 153.34 g/day dan 103.34 g/day. The addition of ramie hay 10%), 20%) and 30%) can increase the addition ofstatistic vital’s measurement on breast of sheep livestock 1.20 cm); 0.95 cm) and 0.90 cm); the addition of statistic vital measurement onthe body length of sheep livestock 0.05 cm); 1.00 cm) and 0.75 cm) and also the addition of breast width is 1.50 cm); 0.15 cm) and 0.3cm). Meanwhile the addition of ramie hay on livestock woof can only increase the addition of statistic vital mesurement on breast atgiving 30%) as big as 0.15 cm). It is needed to know further on giving ramie hay by concentration comparasion of hay of different leafand stem

Impaired nutrient signaling and body weight control in a Na⁺ neutral amino acid cotransporter (Slc6a19)-deficient mouse

Amino acid uptake in the intestine and kidney is mediated by a variety of amino acid transporters. To understand the role of epithelial neutral amino acid uptake in whole body homeostasis, we analyzed mice lacking the apical broad-spectrum neutral (0) amino acid transporter BᴼAT1 (Slc6a19). A general neutral aminoaciduria was observed similar to human Hartnup disorder which is caused by mutations in SLC6A19. Na⁺ -dependent uptake of neutral amino acids into the intestine and renal brush-border membrane vesicles was abolished. No compensatory increase of peptide transport or other neutral amino acid transporters was detected. Mice lacking BᴼAT1 showed a reduced body weight. When adapted to a standard 20% protein diet, BᴼAT1-deficient mice lost body weight rapidly on diets containing 6 or 40% protein. Secretion of insulin in response to food ingestion after fasting was blunted. In the intestine, amino acid signaling to the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway was reduced, whereas the GCN2/ATF4 stress response pathway was activated, indicating amino acid deprivation in epithelial cells. The results demonstrate that epithelial amino acid uptake is essential for optimal growth and body weight regulation.This work was supported by National Health and Medical Research Council Grant 525415, Australian Research Council Grant DP0877897, University of Sydney Bridging Grant RIMS2009-02579), and by an anonymous foundatio

Does Falling Smoking Lead to Rising Obesity?

The strong negative correlation over time between smoking rates and obesity have led some to suggest that reduced smoking is increasing weight gain in the U.S.. This conclusion is supported by the findings of Chou et al. (2004), who conclude that higher cigarette prices lead to increased body weight. We investigate this issue and find no evidence that reduced smoking leads to weight gain. Using the cigarette tax rather than the cigarette price and controlling for non-linear time effects, we find a negative effect of cigarette taxes on body weight, implying that reduced smoking leads to lower body weights. Yet our results, as well as Chou et al., imply implausibly large effects of smoking on body weight. Thus, we cannot confirm that falling smoking leads in a major way to rising obesity rates in the U.S

Disruption of type 3 adenylyl cyclase expression in the hypothalamus leads to obesity

Evidence from human studies and transgenic mice lacking the type 3 adenylyl cyclase (AC3) indicates that AC3 plays a role in the regulation of body weight. It is unknown in which brain region AC3 exerts such an effect. We examined the role of AC3 in the hypothalamus for body weight control using a floxed AC3 mouse strain. Here, we report that AC3 flox/flox mice became obese after the administration of AAV-CRE-GFP into the hypothalamus. Both male and female AC3 floxed mice showed heavier body weight than AAV-GFP injected control mice. Furthermore, mice with selective ablation of AC3 expression in the ventromedial hypothalamus also showed increased body weight and food consumption. Our results indicated that AC3 in the hypothalamus regulates energy balance

Psychosocial and Biological Factors Contributing to Body Weight Gain in Schizophrenia

Overweight and obesity are frequently reported to be a significant issue in schizophrenia resulting in the inherent complications of these disorders. Body weight gain also commonly results from treatment with the most tolerable and efficacious pharmacological treatments, second-generation antipsychotics. However there are numerous other factors that contribute to increased body mass in individuals with schizophrenia prior to the initiation of treatment. With prior research indicating that individuals with schizophrenia have higher rates of overweight and obesity before treatment. Therefore this article provides a review of pertinent issues associated with body weight gain in schizophrenia in an attempt to delineate the impact of both the disease and treatment upon body weight gain. The results of the review indicate that body weight gain in schizophrenia occurs from both psychosocial and biological factors that are further compounded by antipsychotic treatment. The article concludes with recommendations for future research

Body dissatisfaction, appearance investment and wellbeing: how older obese men orient to 'aesthetic health' [forthcoming]

Most research on male body image to date has focused on young men using quantitative methods. The study reported here is based on qualitative interviews with a sample of older men (n = 30) on a weight management programme, and we asked them about body-related feelings. The interviews were all transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis. Our results indicate that although body weight was typically minimised, body image was a key concern, with many examples of body consciousness and body dissatisfaction evident. On the other hand, post-programme weight loss was associated with a transformative shift in body image, with the men emphasising enhanced body confidence, self-esteem and psychological wellbeing. We conclude by highlighting the need to recognise and address appearance issues and/as health concerns for middle-aged and older men

The head-body weight and head-body length relationship of Synodontis schall (Bloch and Schneider 1801) in Asa Lake, Ilorin, Nigeria

A total of 710 specimens of Synodontis schall were analyzed for the head body weight and head body length relationship. The head constituted 40% of the total body weight and 30% of the total body length. The mean head weight for male and female computed was 23.90g and 29.13g respectively. Head weight in both male and female was significantly different (P0.05). Fat accumulation in the body tissue was prominent in the females than males usually before the breeding season. The significance of the cephalo-nuchal shield in the bony head of Synodontis species compared with some other catfishes in the lake was also discusse