An Exploratory Study of Weight Loss and Self-Esteem

Abstract

The purpose of the researcher was to investigate weight loss and self-esteem. The subjects consisted of 36 overweight individuals ranging in age from 24 to 73 years old. The instrument used to assess self-esteem was the Adult Form of the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory (SEI). The design used employed two groups of subjects. One group received pre-assessment SEI and post-assessment SEI. One group received post-assessment SEI only. All subjects were weighed before and after intervention. Intervention consisted of a behavioral weight loss program. Ten null hypotheses were tested. Three hypotheses were tested with t tests, one with a single-factor analysis of variance, three with a single-factor analysis of covariance and three correlation coefficients with t tests. Independent variables were pre-weight, age, and pre-SEI. Of the ten hypotheses tested, five were rejected. The five hypotheses rejected were: the difference between the pre-mean weight and the post-mean weight, the difference between the pre-mean score for self-esteem and the post-mean score for self-esteem. The differences among the post-mean scores for self-esteem of those from three different pre-weight levels, the differences among the adjusted post-mean score for self-esteem of those from three age levels, and the correlation coefficient between desired weight loss and post-self-esteem scores.