The effect of repeated weighing on psychological state

Abstract

The present longitudinal study is aimed at examining the effects of repeated weighing on mood, self-esteem, body image and eating behaviour. Thirty normal weight women took part in the study and completed a set of rating scales before and after either weighing themselves every day for 2 weeks or weighing themselves at the beginning and end only of an equivalent period. The results indicate that subjects in the weighing condition showed a deterioration in mood in terms of increases in both anxiety and depression and lowered self-esteem compared to subjects in the non-weighing condition. The effects of repeated weighing were not related to the subjects' dieting status, but were related to their actual weight change. The results from the present study suggest that weighing may not be as benign a practice as often assumed resulting in a deterioration in the individuals' psychological state. The results are discussed in terms of the negative side-effects of treatment and the implications for repeated weighing as detrimental to attempts at weight loss.