Effects of improved dietary behaviors and increased physical activity on low body satisfaction: Theory-based psychological mechanisms of change in women within a behavioral obesity treatment

Within behavioral obesity interventions, progress on poor body satisfaction in women requires improvement. Women with low body satisfaction participated in obesity treatments focused on either weight-management education or cognitive-behavioral methods targeting physical activity and self-regulation. Improvements in participants' dietary behaviors, physical activity, waist circumference, body satisfaction, and mood were consistently greater in the cognitive-behavioral condition. Their improved diet and increased physical activity predicted increases in body satisfaction. Waist circumference change did not significantly increase the explained variance. Participants' changes in self-efficacy for controlled eating mediated diet→body satisfaction change relationships; and mood changes mediated physical activity→body satisfaction change relationships. We indicated implications for improving obesity intervention contents.