The context of weight changes: factors associated with weight changes in adult women.

The purpose of the investigation was to identify what factors are associated with body weight and with year-to-year changes in body weight. To this end, a broad spectrum of assessments was made. Outcomes of the assessments were correlated with the dependent variables, net weight change, and current body mass index among 87 women not associated with a weight-loss program. The subjects were volunteers of middle socioeconomic status with a mean age of 45 years. Two-thirds were overfat. Multiple regression models were constructed to predict the dependent variables. The weight changers were most likely to be obese. Approximately 30% of the variance in body mass index could be accounted for by a positive association with eating anxiety scores and satisfaction with food intake scores. It was not possible to explain a meaningful portion of the variance in net weight change. The findings are consistent with a pendulum pattern of weight changes with a swing range of at least 1 year. Factors that are associated with obesity are not necessarily correlated with weight changes.