Affiliations: Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Forschungs- und
Lehreinheit Medizinische Psychologie, Hannover | GSF-Forschungszentrum für Umwelt und Gesundheit,
Institut für Gesundheitsökonomie und Management im Gesundheitswesen
(IGM), Neuherberg | Die KORA-Studiengruppe besteht aus H.-E. Wichmann
(Sprecher), H. Löwel, C. Meisinger, T. Illig, R. Holle, J. John und
Mitarbeitern, die für Planung und Durchführung der KORA-Studien
verantwortlich sind
Note: [] Korrespondenzadresse: Dr. phil. Dipl.-Psych. Thomas von
Lengerke, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Forschungs- und Lehreinheit
Medizinische Psychologie (OE 5430), Carl-Neuberg-Straße 1, 30625
Hannover. Tel.: +49 (0)511 532-4445; Fax: +49 (0)511 532 4214; E-mail:
lengerke.thomas@mhhannover.de
Abstract: Reduction diets may be associated with health-related risk factors
and illhealth. In this context, there is an increasing call to more thoroughly
specify psychological preconditions for negative dieting effects. This study
scrutinizes the association of dieting behaviour with frequent overeating, and
the role of dissatisfaction with one's body weight, for women and
men. Data of the Survey 1999/2001 of the Cooperative Health Research in the
Augsburg Region (KORA; random sample from public registry offices listings;
N=4261; age range: 25–74, response: 67%) were analysed via multiple
regressions. Dieting behaviour (at least one episode in the last 12 months),
body weight dissatisfaction, and overeating were assessed via KORA-items in
computer-aided personal interviews. Age, place of residence, marital status,
socio-economic status, body mass index (measured by anthropometry), nutritional
pattern, alcohol consumption, smoking and physical activity were adjusted for. Dieting is predictive for frequent overeating among men only (OR=1.69, p <
0.05). In contrast, the odds for frequent overeating among both sexes were
twofold given body weight dissatisfaction (OR=2.1, p < 0.001). Also, the
association of dieting behaviour and overeating among men is attributable to
those who are dissatisfied with their weight (33% rate of frequent overeating
after dieting vs. 21% without; p < 0.05). Body weight dissatisfaction is
more strongly associated with frequent overeating than dieting behaviour, and,
among men, a precondition for the association of dieting behaviour and frequent
overeating. The study suggests taking into account dieting behaviour when
attending to the issue of body experience in interventions targeting eating
behaviour, especially among men.
Keywords: Overeating, reduction dieting, body weight dissatisfaction, gender differences, population-based health behaviour research
