Search

Up to 80% of individuals with eating disorders engage in dysfunctional exercise, which is characterized by exercising in excessive quantities often past the point of pain as well as compulsive feelings and negative affect when exercise is disrupted (Cook, Hausenblas, Crosby, Cao, & Wonderlich, 2015). Intuitive exercise involves an awareness of the senses while moving and attending to one's bodily cues for when to start and stop exercise, rather than feeling compelled to adhere to a rigid program (Reel, 2015). The purpose of this study was to design a measurement tool to evaluate the construct of intuitive exercise in research, treatment, and prevention settings. The 14-item Intuitive Exercise Scale (IEXS) was developed and validated in the current study with completed surveys from 518 female and male adult participants. Exploratory factor analysis was used to identify four latent constructs, including emotional exercise, exercise rigidity, body trust, and mindful exercise, which were supported via confirmatory factor analysis (CFI=0.96; SRMR=0.06). The IEXS demonstrated configural, metric, and scalar invariance across women and men. Correlations with measures of intuitive eating, exercise dependence, and exercise motivation supported convergent and discriminant validity., (Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Purpose: Obesity is a significant public health problem in women's health. This study examined relationship between body esteem, exercise motivations, depression, and social support among female free clinic patients. Low-income women who are at risk for obesity and other health concerns would benefit from health education efforts., Methods: We compared 299 female and 164 male free clinic patients 18 years or older using assessments for body esteem, motivation to exercise, depression, and social support., Results: Although female participants reported lower levels of body esteem and higher levels of depression compared with male participants (p < .01), female participants were more motivated to exercise for weight-related reasons than male participants (p < .05). U.S.-born female participants reported lower exercise motivations compared with non-U.S.-born female participants (p < .01). Social support might be an important factor to increase exercise motivation among female free clinic patients (p < .05); depression lowers levels of body esteem (p < .01)., Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that female free clinic patients should receive gender-specific interventions to promote positive body image and physical activity. It is important for health educators to engage a myriad of physical activity motives to increase the likelihood that clients will experience enjoyment and sustained adoption of exercise into their lifestyle. Future practice and research should warrant the implementation of body image and physical activity programs and the potential impact of using exercise to reducing depression among female patients at free clinics., (Copyright © 2014 Jacobs Institute of Women's Health. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Freshman weight gain has been assessed using quantitative inquiry, but this qualitative study allowed for an in-depth exploration of freshmen women's experiences surrounding body image, nutrition, and exercise. The purpose of this study was to better understand the impact and explanations for the "Freshman 15.", Participants: Freshmen college women, aged 18 to 19 years., Methods: Participants (N = 235) were initially surveyed about body dissatisfaction. Thirty participants were selected for semistructured interviews (conducted in March 2008) using a criterion-based, multilevel stratified random sampling., Results: Freshmen women reported intense fears about gaining weight. Women most commonly attributed freshman weight gain to newly found food independence, social comparison with peers, and the influence of friends and family. Women frequently cited eating habit changes to explain college weight gain., Conclusions: Comparison among females was framed using Festinger's social comparison theory. Despite being cautious about food, females described freshman weight gain as inevitable.

Numerous studies have examined the relations between body concerns and exercise. This meta-analysis is based on 35 studies with exercise programs influencing body concerns. There was an overall effect of .45, suggesting that exercise positively affects body concerns. Moderator variables, such as sex, type of exercise, and length of intervention were examined and discussed. Generally, there were no sex differences in effects of exercise on body concerns, but anaerobic exercise such as weight training generated a stronger effect (d= .64) than aerobic-type exercises such as jogging (d= .40).

Background: Body image disturbances and disordered eating behaviors are prevalent across college campuses and can lead to psychological and physical health consequences. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to gain formative research on the promotion of positive body image on a university campus with the goal of developing educational programs. Method: From an initial recruitment survey (n = 235), 30 female university freshmen participants were selected for semistructured interviews to discuss the influence of body image on the freshman college experience. Results: Participants recommended continuing typical campus positive body image promotion activities, such as counseling services, support groups, exercise facilities, healthy eating options, and knowledge-based programs, as well as introducing more innovative approaches (e.g., building friendships, displaying more diverse bodies on campus posters). The most pervasive themes included self-acceptance ideas and a feeling of learned helplessness about finding preventive solutions for body image problems. Discussion: Addressing the idea of learned helplessness among college students is vital for eliminating barriers for prevention work. It is important to integrate the Health at Every Size approach into positive body image promotion programs in order to encourage self-acceptance and promote health over thinness.

Unhealthy cognitive–emotional relationships with exercise can hinder positive treatment outcomes when left unaddressed. However, clinicians lack validated tools to monitor this aspect of treatment. This study examined the 14-item Intuitive Exercise Scale with 165 patients in the United States (Mage = 26.48 years) who were receiving treatment for an eating disorder. The original factor structure was inadequate for the current sample, and exploratory factor analysis generated three factors—emotional exercise, body intuition, and exercise variety. The three-factor solution yielded strong internal consistency and partial support for the scale's validity. Furthermore, patients scored lowest in body intuition, confirming low awareness of bodily cues common in patients with eating disorders. This study informs how clinicians may integrate and monitor patients' cognitive–emotional relationship with exercise as part of holistic and intuitive eating disorder treatment approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on body image emphasizes risks for eating disorders and typically involves young, Caucasian women. Few studies examine body image beyond the college years and there appears to be a disregard for the mature woman, as if self-acceptance of one's body is part of the aging process. Historically, it has been assumed that race is a protective factor against body dissatisfaction due to the perceived larger body ideal for women of color. Drawing upon interviews with Caucasian and African-American women from 20 to 80 years of age, this article explores body image across the lifespan. This analysis revealed that African-American and Caucasian women of all ages engage in private self-monitoring of their bodies and use strategies such as exercise, controlling food intake and cosmetic surgery to try and change the shape of their bodies. Therefore, it is evident that women across age and race categories are vulnerable to body dissatisfaction and disordered eating behaviors. Regardless of race, even mature women recognize and respond to societal expectations of beauty and femininity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]