The Effects of Weight and Nutrition Education on Weight Control Beliefs, Body Image, Self-Esteem and Eating Patterns in Undergraduate Dieters

NCT07349316 | Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: 19334
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 150
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

People who diet typically believe they can control their weight. People who believe they should control their weight are more likely to have poor body image, low self-esteem and disordered eating. People who believe they should aim for a healthy lifestyle and accept their natural weight have better body image, better self-esteem and less disordered eating. This study will compare three types of education in undergraduate dieters. In the first, the investigators will teach how the body naturally controls weight. In the second, the investigators will teach about healthy eating. In the third, the investigators will teach about how the body naturally controls weight and healthy eating. The study is testing whether teaching about how the body naturally controls weight and healthy eating changes people's beliefs about weight. The study also tests whether changing people's beliefs about weight will change their body satisfaction, their feelings about themselves, and their intention to diet.

Conditions

Dietary Restraint

Keywords

Weight Control Beliefs; Dieters; Nutrition Counselling; Weight Science; Psychotherapeutic Interventions; Brief Intervention; Dietary Restraint

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Change in beliefs on the ability to control one's weight (weight control beliefs).

  Decreased score on the Weight Control Beliefs questionnaire post-intervention compared to pre-intervention questionnaire score, where a total score of 17 is equivalent to beliefs that weight is not entirely under personal control and a total score of 68 indicates beliefs that weight is entirely under personal control.

  From baseline measure to the end of the intervention at approximately one hour.

Secondary Outcomes (4)

• Change in restrained eating

  From baseline measure to the end of the intervention at approximately one hour.

• Change in the intent to diet

  From baseline measure to the end of the intervention at approximately one hour.

• Change in self-esteem

  From baseline measure to the end of the intervention at approximately one hour.

• Change in body appreciation

  From baseline measure to the end of the intervention at approximately one hour.

Other Outcomes (1)

• Change in disordered eating behaviours and attitudes

  From baseline measure to the end of the intervention at approximately one hour.

Study Arms (3)

Weight Science Education and Sleep Education (Control)

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Participants in the Weight Science Education and Sleep Education (Control) arm will be receiving both those educational interventions after answering questionnaires. This arm assesses the hypothesis that weight science education alone will decrease belief in personal control over weight and will have little to no effect on belief in choosing a healthy lifestyle/weight acceptance.

Other: Weight Science Education; Other: Sleep Education

Nutrition Education and Sleep Education (Control)

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Participants in the Nutrition Education and Sleep Education (Control) arm will be receiving both those educational interventions after answering questionnaires. This arm assesses the hypothesis that nutrition education alone will increase belief in choosing a healthy lifestyle or weight acceptance, but will have little to no effect on the belief in personal control over weight.

Other: Nutrition Education; Other: Sleep Education

Weight Science Education and Nutrition Education

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants in the Weight Science Education and Healthy Eating Education arm will be receiving both those educational interventions after answering questionnaires. This arm assesses the main hypothesis that weight science and nutrition teaching combined will both decrease the belief of personal control over weight and an increase the belief in choosing a healthy lifestyle/weight acceptance.

Other: Weight Science Education; Other: Nutrition Education

Interventions

Weight Science Education OTHER

The weight science educational video discusses the research on the genetic contribution to body weight; the role of genetics in how individuals' body weight responds to over-eating; the research comparing the efficacy of different dieting approaches; the research on the long-term efficacy of behavioural approaches to weight loss; weight loss in obesity; research on the weight-loss registry looking at successful weight losers; and research on weight control beliefs. The video is narrated by Dr. Michele Laliberte, a licensed clinical psychologist, and the information is consistent with current research and recommendations. There is no deception involved and it is made clear to participants that the information they are being provided is based on current research and the purpose is to understand the impact of this information on their attitudes and beliefs.

Also known as: Weight Education, Weight Science

Weight Science Education and Nutrition Education; Weight Science Education and Sleep Education (Control)

Nutrition Education OTHER

The healthy nutrition educational video discusses the development of food guides around the world; a definition and description of benefits of the "basics" of healthy eating (e.g., regular eating, balanced eating and pleasurable eating); a review of the macronutrients and their importance to health; a review of the recommendations concerning the specific food groups in the Canada's food guide; and how to put this all together to create a healthy eating plan. The video is narrated by Dr. Michele Laliberte, a licensed clinical psychologist, and the information is consistent with current research and recommendations. There is no deception involved and it is made clear to participants that the information they are being provided is based on current research and the purpose is to understand the impact of this information on their attitudes and beliefs.

Also known as: Healthy Eating Education, Healthy Eating, Healthy Nutrition Education

Nutrition Education and Sleep Education (Control); Weight Science Education and Nutrition Education

Sleep Education OTHER

The sleep hygiene educational video, which is an active control, reviews the cognitive, emotional, physical health and weight implications of good quality sleep; provides a review of good sleep hygiene; and provides an overview of how to manage insomnia. The video is narrated by Dr. Michele Laliberte, a licensed clinical psychologist, and the information is consistent with current research and recommendations. There is no deception involved and it is made clear to participants that the information they are being provided is based on current research and the purpose is to understand the impact of this information on their attitudes and beliefs.

Also known as: Healthy Sleep, Healthy Sleep Education, Sleep Hygiene

Nutrition Education and Sleep Education (Control); Weight Science Education and Sleep Education (Control)

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Gender Eligibility Details: Women
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Undergraduate students at McMaster University
• Individuals who are restricting their eating to try and lose weight.
• Self-identified women
• Ages 18 or over
• Normal (or corrected to normal) hearing
• Normal (or corrected to normal) vision

You may not qualify if:

• \- Self-identified men

Sponsors & Collaborators

• St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton: lead

Study Sites (1)

McMaster University

Hamilton, Ontario, L8N 3K7, Canada

RECRUITING

Related Publications (3)

• Laliberte MM, Lucibello KM. Weight control beliefs in the treatment of binge-eating disorder: Why might they matter? Int J Eat Disord. 2022 Jun;55(6):820-825. doi: 10.1002/eat.23713. Epub 2022 Apr 7.

  PMID: 35388511 BACKGROUND

• Laliberte, M. M., Balk, D., Tweed, S., Smith, J., & Ghai, A. (2014). The impact of education on weight control beliefs. Ethnicity and Inequalities in Health and Social Care, 7(2), 86-95. https://doi.org/10.1108/EIHSC-11-2013-0041

  BACKGROUND

• Laliberte, M. M., Newton, M., McCabe, R., & Mills, J. S. (2007). Controlling Your Weight Versus Controlling Your Lifestyle: How Beliefs about Weight Control Affect Risk for Disordered Eating, 10534_2006_9060_Fig3_HTML.gif Dissatisfaction and Self-esteem. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 31(6), 853-869. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10608-006-9104-z

  BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Interventions

Nutrition Assessment; Diet, Healthy

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Data Collection; Epidemiologic Methods; Investigative Techniques; Health Care Evaluation Mechanisms; Quality of Health Care; Health Care Quality, Access, and Evaluation; Epidemiologic Measurements; Public Health; Environment and Public Health; Diet; Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Diet, Food, and Nutrition; Physiological Phenomena

Central Study Contacts

Keisha Gobin, Ph.D., C.Psych

CONTACT

905-522-1155; kgobin@stjoes.ca

Mindy Tat, BSc

CONTACT

tatm@mcmaster.ca

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Co-Investigator

Model Details: This is an experimental study in which participants will be randomly assigned to one of three conditions: 1) weight science + control (sleep education); 2) control (sleep education) + healthy eating education; or 3) weight science + healthy eating education. The control component (sleep education) is the same in both Group 1 and Group 2 and is intended to serve as a pure placebo, not expected to influence the study's primary outcomes.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: January 9, 2026
• First Posted: January 16, 2026
• Study Start: January 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): August 31, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): August 31, 2026
• Last Updated: April 22, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-04

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

CA (1)