Body Composition Perceptions And The Effect Of A 6-week Time Period: A Pilot Study

Research examining how solely the knowledge of one's body composition affects the motivation to explore healthier lifestyle choices is limited. Historically, females are more affected by body perception than males, however the exact stimuli needed to induce change in body composition has not been identified. This pilot study examined the possibility that learning detailed body composition information will motivate a middle-aged female to make healthy lifestyle changes. PURPOSE: To examine the effects of a detailed body composition analysis on the incorporation of lifestyle changes in a 6-week follow-up analysis in females. METHODS: Fourteen females (43 ± 11.67 yrs) volunteered for this pilot study. Body Composition analysis included: Dual energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA), Bioimpedance Spectroscopy (BIS), and anthropometric measures - skinfolds and circumferences. Additionally, a Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ), the Rate Your Plate questionnaire, and a self-perceptions questionnaire that included the Stunkard Scale Rating were completed. Immediately after data collection, participants were given detailed results and had all questions answered. Subjects returned after six weeks for a follow-up body composition analysis. A post survey questionnaire was also administered. RESULTS: Body weight (69.8 ± 16.76 vs. 69.2 ± 15.95 kg, p ≥ 0.05), body fat % (36.4 ± 9.37 vs. 35.8 ± 8.9, p꓿0.65), and fat mass (25.6 ± 13.03 vs. 25 ± 12.44 kg, p꓿0.57) showed positive, healthy trends after six weeks. Weekly physical activity, determined from the GPAQ survey and reported as MET-min.wk, increased after six weeks (1799 ± 1524.1 vs. 2937 ± 2392.1, p꓿0.66) as did the Rate Your Plate score (54 vs. 55, p ≥ 0.05). Results from the Body Composition Perceptions survey showed an increase in overall health satisfaction (3.4 ± 1.16 vs. 3.8 ± 1.1, p꓿0.55) while the average Stunkard Scale body perception score dropped slightly, from a 5 to a 4 (p ≥ 0.05), also showing a positive trend. CONCLUSIONS: From this initial sample of females, it was concluded that solely having the detailed knowledge of one’s body composition can lead to healthier lifestyle changes over a period of six weeks. A continuation of this examination, over a greater population of females within various age ranges, is needed to further elucidate motivating factors.