ACCURACY OF SELF-REPORTED EXERCISE AND THE RELATIONSHIP WITH WEIGHT-LOSS IN OVERWEIGHT WOMEN

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare self-reported exerci se to a more objective measurement of exercise (i.e., Tri-Trac Acceler ometer) and to assess whether there is a difference in weight loss bet ween individuals who under-and over-report their exercise. Methods: Fi fty overweight females (BMI = 34.0 +/- 4.2 kg.m(-2)) who were particip ating in a behavioral weight control program were included in this stu dy. Subjects were randomly assigned to a long-bout or a short-bout exe rcise condition, with both groups instructed to exercise 30 min.day(-1 ) on 5 d.wk(-1) for a period of 20 wk. The long-bout group was to exer cise in one continuous session (e.g., one 30-min session per day), whe reas the short-bout group was to divide the exercise into multiple 10- min sessions (e.g., three 10-min sessions per day). Subjects recorded their exercise in a daily exercise log and wore a Tri-Trac acceleromet er for a I-wk period to validate self-reported exercise bouts. Results : Results showed that approximately 45% of the women over-reported the amount of exercise that they performed, and this did not differ betwe en the lone-bout and short-bout groups. Women who over-reported their exercise had significantly poorer weight loss across the 20-wk program than women who under-reported their exercise (6.3 +/- 3.6 kg vs 9.4 /- 5.2 kg). Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that overwe ight women who over-report their exercise will have poorer weight loss while enrolled in a behavioral weight loss program compared with othe rs enrolled in the program, and the Tri-Trac Accelerometer may be usef ul in identifying individuals who inaccurately report the amount of th eir exercise. The ability to classify individuals as either over-or un der-reporters of their exercise may be helpful to weight loss therapis ts and lead to more successful treatment for obesity.