Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 11, 2026
12:09
Studying Food Reward and Motivation in Humans
Published on: March 19, 2014
Initial development and reliability of a motivation for weight loss scale
Andrea H Meyer1, Simone Weissen-Schelling, Simone Munsch
1Division of Applied Statistics in Life Sciences, University of Basel, Switzerland. andrea.meyer@unibas.ch
Obesity Facts
|July 10, 2010
Summary
A new questionnaire identifies key motivations for weight loss in overweight and obese individuals, focusing on health and appearance. This tool helps tailor treatments for better adherence and success.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Public Health
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Overweight and obesity are significant global health concerns.
- Understanding patient motivations for weight loss is crucial for effective treatment.
- Existing tools may not adequately capture the nuanced reasons for weight loss.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a questionnaire assessing health and appearance as primary drivers for weight loss.
- To provide a reliable instrument for evaluating motivations in overweight and obese populations.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from two representative Swiss telephone surveys.
- Employed exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis to determine questionnaire structure.
- Cross-validated the model with a separate survey and conducted multigroup analyses.
Main Results:
- Developed a 24-item, 3-factor questionnaire.
- Identified factors: 'health', 'appearance in relation to others', and 'appearance in relation to oneself'.
- Demonstrated good internal consistency and test-retest reliability.
Conclusions:
- This is the first validated questionnaire for assessing weight loss motivations in overweight and obese individuals.
- Suggests potential utility as a pretreatment assessment tool to personalize interventions.
- Further research is recommended to evaluate its impact on treatment adherence and outcomes.
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