What does dieting predict? Diets, body fat and body dissatisfaction in a structural equations

Abstract

Introduction: Currently there is a trend towards unhealthy diets with university students being particularly vulnerable due to the assumption of responsibility for the acquisition of eating habits. Objective: The purpose of this research has been to fit the theorical model for the explication of the number of diets through percentage of body fat and body dissatisfaction through structural equations. The participants have been 244 Mexican college women, whose average age was 19.88 years (DE=1.24). The used tools have been the percentage body fat, the number of diets to lose weight for the last two years and the IMAGE Questionnaire to measure the different components of body dissatisfaction. Results: A satisfactory fit has been obtained, with most of the hypothesized relationships being significant. It is highlighted that only the change approach and the behavioral component have a direct effect on the number of diets. The mediating capacity of the body dissatisfaction factors between the variable’s percentage of body fat and number of diets is also highlighted. Conclusions: Considering the total effect (direct and indirect effects), the behavioral component, followed by the emotional discomfort, perceptual discomfort and the change approach components of body dissatisfaction are the variables with the greatest explanatory power on the number of diets. The percentage of body fat shows no direct effect on the number of diets.