| Weight management strategies that people use are one of several factors that determine a person's weight. Strategies may be the most viable mechanism that can be targeted for changing weight because the strategies people use are flexible, which is generally not true for other factors influencing weight (e.g., genetics, environment, social groups, etc.,). To date, little research has investigated the effectiveness of different types of weight management strategies for managing weight, and a quality measure of types of strategies does not exist. In two studies, the present research aims to construct a measure of types of weight management strategies and to provide preliminary evidence for its utility by indicating which types of strategies may be effective for managing weight and exercise. Study 1 consisted of 96 students and friends of students, and Study 2 consisted of 129 faculty and staff at the University of Southern California. In both studies, participants rated the frequency of which they use 48 weight management strategies—for both diet and exercise—and sorted the strategies into groups based on strategy similarity. We conducted cluster analysis on participants' sorted data to create a meaningful categorization of strategies. The authors determined nine clusters of strategies, four for diet and five for exercise. We used participants' reported use of the strategy clusters to predict BMI and exercise behavior. Several of the clusters show evidence for being effective for managing weight or exercise, including Social and Motivational Support for Exercise (Study 1), Prioritizing or Planning Exercise (Study 1 and Study 2), Making Exercise Convenient (Study 2), and Planning Diet (Study 2). The authors conclude that these relationships should be investigated further in future research. |
