[A self-development program for obese female students]

The purpose of this study is to construct and evaluate a self-development programme for obese female students. The important role of psychological factors in the etiology of obesity, affects self-development in the client through methods of growth stimulation, and will promote ego strength to assist in the demands of mass control. A self-development programme is constructed and applied to a group of obese female students. The experimental design comprised a pre, post and post-post evaluation with physical and psychological measuring instruments on an experimental and a control group. No significant changes in body mass occurred. Psychologically the programme promoted self-actualisation in terms of (intrapersonally) increased spontaneity, self-regard, confidence, worthiness and decreased nervousness, and (interpersonally) increased general social adaptation and the capacity for intimate, personal contact. It is recommended that the stimulation of psychological growth be stressed even more in mass control programmes. Also, the contents of this type of programme should be investigated to promote behaviour change over a longer period of time.