The Effects of Weight and Nutrition Education on Weight Control Beliefs, Body Image, Self-Esteem and Eating Patterns in Undergraduate Dieters

The Effects of Weight Science and Nutrition Education on Weight Control Beliefs, Body Image, Self-Esteem and Eating Patterns in Undergraduate Dieters

People who diet typically believe they can control their weight. People who believe they should control their weight are more likely to have poor body image, low self-esteem and disordered eating. People who believe they should aim for a healthy lifestyle and accept their natural weight have better body image, better self-esteem and less disordered eating. This study will compare three types of education in undergraduate dieters. In the first, the investigators will teach how the body naturally controls weight. In the second, the investigators will teach about healthy eating. In the third, the investigators will teach about how the body naturally controls weight and healthy eating. The study is testing whether teaching about how the body naturally controls weight and healthy eating changes people's beliefs about weight. The study also tests whether changing people's beliefs about weight will change their body satisfaction, their feelings about themselves, and their intention to diet.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Dietary Restraint
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Weight Science Education; Other: Sleep Education; Other: Nutrition Education

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 150
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Keisha Gobin, Ph.D., C.Psych; Phone Number: 34093 905-522-1155; Email: kgobin@stjoes.ca
• Study Contact Backup: Name: Mindy Tat, BSc; Email: tatm@mcmaster.ca

Study Locations

• Canada
  • Ontario
    • Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, L8N 3K7
      • Recruiting
      • McMaster University
      • Contact: Keisha Gobin, Ph.D., C.Psych; Phone Number: 34093 905-522-1155; Email: kgobin@stjoes.ca
      • Contact: Mindy Tat, BSc; Email: tatm@mcmaster.ca
      • Sub-Investigator: Mindy Tat, BSc
      • Principal Investigator: Keisha Gobin, Ph.D., C.Psych

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Undergraduate students at McMaster University
• Individuals who are restricting their eating to try and lose weight.
• Self-identified women
• Ages 18 or over
• Normal (or corrected to normal) hearing
• Normal (or corrected to normal) vision

Exclusion Criteria:

- Self-identified men

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

3

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: Weight Science Education and Sleep Education (Control); Participants in the Weight Science Education and Sleep Education (Control) arm will be receiving both those educational interventions after answering questionnaires. This arm assesses the hypothesis that weight science education alone will decrease belief in personal control over weight and will have little to no effect on belief in choosing a healthy lifestyle/weight acceptance.	Other: Weight Science Education; The weight science educational video discusses the research on the genetic contribution to body weight; the role of genetics in how individuals' body weight responds to over-eating; the research comparing the efficacy of different dieting approaches; the research on the long-term efficacy of behavioural approaches to weight loss; weight loss in obesity; research on the weight-loss registry looking at successful weight losers; and research on weight control beliefs. The video is narrated by Dr. Michele Laliberte, a licensed clinical psychologist, and the information is consistent with current research and recommendations. There is no deception involved and it is made clear to participants that the information they are being provided is based on current research and the purpose is to understand the impact of this information on their attitudes and beliefs.; Other Names: Weight Education; Weight Science; Other: Sleep Education; The sleep hygiene educational video, which is an active control, reviews the cognitive, emotional, physical health and weight implications of good quality sleep; provides a review of good sleep hygiene; and provides an overview of how to manage insomnia. The video is narrated by Dr. Michele Laliberte, a licensed clinical psychologist, and the information is consistent with current research and recommendations. There is no deception involved and it is made clear to participants that the information they are being provided is based on current research and the purpose is to understand the impact of this information on their attitudes and beliefs.; Other Names: Healthy Sleep; Healthy Sleep Education; Sleep Hygiene
Active Comparator: Nutrition Education and Sleep Education (Control); Participants in the Nutrition Education and Sleep Education (Control) arm will be receiving both those educational interventions after answering questionnaires. This arm assesses the hypothesis that nutrition education alone will increase belief in choosing a healthy lifestyle or weight acceptance, but will have little to no effect on the belief in personal control over weight.	Other: Sleep Education; The sleep hygiene educational video, which is an active control, reviews the cognitive, emotional, physical health and weight implications of good quality sleep; provides a review of good sleep hygiene; and provides an overview of how to manage insomnia. The video is narrated by Dr. Michele Laliberte, a licensed clinical psychologist, and the information is consistent with current research and recommendations. There is no deception involved and it is made clear to participants that the information they are being provided is based on current research and the purpose is to understand the impact of this information on their attitudes and beliefs.; Other Names: Healthy Sleep; Healthy Sleep Education; Sleep Hygiene; Other: Nutrition Education; The healthy nutrition educational video discusses the development of food guides around the world; a definition and description of benefits of the "basics" of healthy eating (e.g., regular eating, balanced eating and pleasurable eating); a review of the macronutrients and their importance to health; a review of the recommendations concerning the specific food groups in the Canada's food guide; and how to put this all together to create a healthy eating plan. The video is narrated by Dr. Michele Laliberte, a licensed clinical psychologist, and the information is consistent with current research and recommendations. There is no deception involved and it is made clear to participants that the information they are being provided is based on current research and the purpose is to understand the impact of this information on their attitudes and beliefs.; Other Names: Healthy Eating; Healthy Eating Education; Healthy Nutrition Education
Experimental: Weight Science Education and Nutrition Education; Participants in the Weight Science Education and Healthy Eating Education arm will be receiving both those educational interventions after answering questionnaires. This arm assesses the main hypothesis that weight science and nutrition teaching combined will both decrease the belief of personal control over weight and an increase the belief in choosing a healthy lifestyle/weight acceptance.	Other: Weight Science Education; The weight science educational video discusses the research on the genetic contribution to body weight; the role of genetics in how individuals' body weight responds to over-eating; the research comparing the efficacy of different dieting approaches; the research on the long-term efficacy of behavioural approaches to weight loss; weight loss in obesity; research on the weight-loss registry looking at successful weight losers; and research on weight control beliefs. The video is narrated by Dr. Michele Laliberte, a licensed clinical psychologist, and the information is consistent with current research and recommendations. There is no deception involved and it is made clear to participants that the information they are being provided is based on current research and the purpose is to understand the impact of this information on their attitudes and beliefs.; Other Names: Weight Education; Weight Science; Other: Nutrition Education; The healthy nutrition educational video discusses the development of food guides around the world; a definition and description of benefits of the "basics" of healthy eating (e.g., regular eating, balanced eating and pleasurable eating); a review of the macronutrients and their importance to health; a review of the recommendations concerning the specific food groups in the Canada's food guide; and how to put this all together to create a healthy eating plan. The video is narrated by Dr. Michele Laliberte, a licensed clinical psychologist, and the information is consistent with current research and recommendations. There is no deception involved and it is made clear to participants that the information they are being provided is based on current research and the purpose is to understand the impact of this information on their attitudes and beliefs.; Other Names: Healthy Eating; Healthy Eating Education; Healthy Nutrition Education

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in beliefs on the ability to control one's weight (weight control beliefs).	Decreased score on the Weight Control Beliefs questionnaire post-intervention compared to pre-intervention questionnaire score, where a total score of 17 is equivalent to beliefs that weight is not entirely under personal control and a total score of 68 indicates beliefs that weight is entirely under personal control.	From baseline measure to the end of the intervention at approximately one hour.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in restrained eating	Decreased score on the cognitive restraint subscale of the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire Revised-18 (TFEQ-R18) post-intervention compared to pre-intervention questionnaire score. A cognitive restraint score of 24 is equivalent to high dietary restraint, and a cognitive restraint score of 6 indicates low dietary restraint.	From baseline measure to the end of the intervention at approximately one hour.
Change in the intent to diet	Decreased mean score on the Dieting Intentions Scale (DIS) post-intervention compared to pre-intervention questionnaire score. A mean score of 7 is equivalent to a strong intent to diet, and a mean score of 1 indicates a low intent to diet.	From baseline measure to the end of the intervention at approximately one hour.
Change in self-esteem	Increased score on the Rosenberg Self-Esteem scale (RSE) post-intervention compared to pre-intervention questionnaire score. A total score of 0 is equivalent to low self-esteem, and a total score of 30 indicates a high self-esteem.	From baseline measure to the end of the intervention at approximately one hour.
Change in body appreciation	Increased score on the Body Appreciation Scale (BAS) post-intervention compared to pre-intervention questionnaire score. A score of 10 is equivalent to low body appreciation, and a score of 50 indicates high body appreciation.	From baseline measure to the end of the intervention at approximately one hour.

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in disordered eating behaviours and attitudes	Decreased mean score on the Eating Disorders Examination Questionnaire 6.0 (EDE-Q6) post-intervention compared to pre-intervention questionnaire score. A mean score of 6 is equivalent to a high frequency and severity of behaviours associated with a diagnosis of an eating disorder, and a mean score of 0 indicates a low frequency and severity of behaviours associated with a diagnosis of an eating disorder.	From baseline measure to the end of the intervention at approximately one hour.

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Laliberte MM, Lucibello KM. Weight control beliefs in the treatment of binge-eating disorder: Why might they matter? Int J Eat Disord. 2022 Jun;55(6):820-825. doi: 10.1002/eat.23713. Epub 2022 Apr 7.
• Laliberte, M. M., Balk, D., Tweed, S., Smith, J., & Ghai, A. (2014). The impact of education on weight control beliefs. Ethnicity and Inequalities in Health and Social Care, 7(2), 86-95. https://doi.org/10.1108/EIHSC-11-2013-0041
• Laliberte, M. M., Newton, M., McCabe, R., & Mills, J. S. (2007). Controlling Your Weight Versus Controlling Your Lifestyle: How Beliefs about Weight Control Affect Risk for Disordered Eating, 10534_2006_9060_Fig3_HTML.gif Dissatisfaction and Self-esteem. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 31(6), 853-869. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10608-006-9104-z

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): January 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): August 31, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): August 31, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: January 9, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 9, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): January 16, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 22, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 21, 2026
• Last Verified: April 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Brief Intervention; Dietary Restraint; Weight Control Beliefs; Dieters; Nutrition Counselling; Weight Science; Psychotherapeutic Interventions
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Health Care Quality, Access, and Evaluation; Investigative Techniques; Epidemiologic Methods; Data Collection; Health Care Evaluation Mechanisms; Quality of Health Care; Public Health; Environment and Public Health; Diet, Food, and Nutrition; Physiological Phenomena; Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Diet; Epidemiologic Measurements; Nutrition Assessment; Diet, Healthy
• Other Study ID Numbers: 19334

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO
• IPD Plan Description: Participants are providing consent for inclusion in this singular study.

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No