Date of Award
5-1982
Culminating Project Type
Thesis
Department
Kinesiology
College
School of Health and Human Services
First Advisor
John M. Kelly
Second Advisor
George Petrangelo
Third Advisor
John McCue
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 License.
Keywords and Subject Headings
Weight reduction, exercise, diet
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of two methods of weight reduction in overweight college women. An effort was made to distinguish which method provided a more desirable form of weight loss. Each method was examined by body compositional measurements.
F1fty college women from St. Cloud State University volunteered for the study. Of these women, twenty were involved in each of the two experimental groups. Ten women participated in the comparison group. Only seven women in the diet group completed the study. Sixteen of the original twenty completed the diet and exercise (diet/exercise) program. Seven of the ten women in the comparison group returned for posttesting.
The intent of the two experimental groups was to have each participant lose at least one pound per week by a negative caloric balance of 500 calories per day. The diet group was designed to achieve the negative caloric balance by reducing caloric intake only. On the other hand, it was intended for the diet/exercise group to accomplish the negative balance by a reduction of caloric intake and an increased caloric expenditure (each equal to 250 calories per day), for the total of ·500 calories per day.
The mean body weight at the beginning of the investigation was 70.52, 74.10, and 72.44 kg for the diet, diet/exercise, and comparison groups, respectively. These groups showed decreases of 4.48, 4.43, and 1.25. kg. Percent body fat of the diet/exercise group decreased from 35.36 percent to 30.83 percent during the eight-week program. The diet group decreased from 33.49 percent body fat to 30.87 percent. The percent body fat of the comparison group increased slightly from 29.93 percent to 30.03 percent. The differences of the percent body fat were significant (P
The two methods of weight reduction appear to be of equal value when observing total body weight lost. Body composition changes caused by the diet/exercise method proved to be physiologically superior to the dieting alone program. Body fat loss by the subjects involved in the diet/exercise program was greater than the loss achieved by those participating in the dieting program. Additionally, the diet/exercise participants lost less lean tissue than did the members of the diet group. The diet/exercise program was more successful in maintaining the interest and involvement of the participants than those who used dieting exclusively for weight loss.
Recommended Citation
Allyn, Debra A., "A Comparison of Two Methods of Weight Reduction" (1982). Culminating Projects in Kinesiology. 40.
https://repository.stcloudstate.edu/pess_etds/40
