Discuss the success & failure of dieting
Introduction
Some diets succeed, most fail
Industry - gendered
Cognitive explanations put forward to explain
AO1
- Herman & Mack: Restraint Theory – Restrain calorific intake. Cut
out/down. More likely to over-eat.
Cognitive
Herman & Polivy: Boundary Model – Self-imposed boundary between
theories
hunger & satiety. Inevitable boundary crossed, think ‘might as well
- continue’. Keeps happening. Stops dieting. ‘I’m a failure’.
- Wegner: Denial – cut out completely. Increases attractiveness, want it
more. Try not to think, think about it more. Ironic processes of mental
control.
Redden: Detail – Succeed due to detail. Fail – repetition/monotony.
AO2
Restraint Theory & Boundary Model
Wardle and Beales: 27 obese women. 3 conditions: 1) Restrained eating. 2)
Exercise. 3) Control. After 4/6 weeks given pre-load – chocolate/milkshake.
Restrained group ate most. Self-imposed boundary more likely to eat.
Anorexics: Can impose a very low boundary and be successful. RT & BM has
limited relevance – doesn’t apply to everyone.
Wegner
Wegner: White bear study. 2 groups. 1 told to think about bear, 1 told to
not. Ring bell. Those told not to think rang more. Ironic processes of mental
control.
Introduction
Some diets succeed, most fail
Industry - gendered
Cognitive explanations put forward to explain
AO1
- Herman & Mack: Restraint Theory – Restrain calorific intake. Cut
out/down. More likely to over-eat.
Cognitive
Herman & Polivy: Boundary Model – Self-imposed boundary between
theories
hunger & satiety. Inevitable boundary crossed, think ‘might as well
- continue’. Keeps happening. Stops dieting. ‘I’m a failure’.
- Wegner: Denial – cut out completely. Increases attractiveness, want it
more. Try not to think, think about it more. Ironic processes of mental
control.
Redden: Detail – Succeed due to detail. Fail – repetition/monotony.
AO2
Restraint Theory & Boundary Model
Wardle and Beales: 27 obese women. 3 conditions: 1) Restrained eating. 2)
Exercise. 3) Control. After 4/6 weeks given pre-load – chocolate/milkshake.
Restrained group ate most. Self-imposed boundary more likely to eat.
Anorexics: Can impose a very low boundary and be successful. RT & BM has
limited relevance – doesn’t apply to everyone.
Wegner
Wegner: White bear study. 2 groups. 1 told to think about bear, 1 told to
not. Ring bell. Those told not to think rang more. Ironic processes of mental
control.
