DIFFERENTIAL RELATION OF PSYCHOLOGICAL FUNCTIONING WITH THE HISTORY AND EXPERIENCE OF WEIGHT CYCLING

Two measures of weight cycling and indexes of psychological functionin g were examined in a large sample of dieters. History of weight cyclin g was assessed to include number of dieting attempts, total lifetime w eight lost and regained, and number of weight cycles over 20 lb (9.1 k g). Experience of weight cycling measured perception of being a yo-yo dieter and perceived success at maintaining past weight losses. Experi ence was more strongly related than history to all psychological measu res. Further, when controlling for the effects of age, body mass index , and experience, the relation between history and the psychological v ariables was nonsignificant. This finding suggests that an individual' s perception of being a weight cycler may be more related to psycholog ical problems than the actual number of pounds lost and regained over time.