Thesis Title: Positive Body Image, Intuitive Eating and Exercise among Adolescents
Student Name: Maimoona Hayat
Supervisors: Tanzeela Bashir & Mujeeba Ashraf, PhD
Degree: BS
Year: 2014-2018
Abstract
Current study was designed to explore the relationship between intuitive eating, positive body image and exercise. It was hypothesized that intuitive eating and positive body image would have a positive relationship with exercise. It was also hypothesized that positive body image and intuitive eating would predict exercise, and there would be gender differences in positive body image, intuitive eating and exercise among adolescents. To determine the relationship between positive body image, intuitive eating and exercise, Body Appreciation Scale (BAS-2; Tylkaa, & Wood-Barcalowb, 2015), Intuitive Eating Scale (IES -2; Tykla, 2013) and Obligatory Exercise Questionnaire (OEQ; Thompson, & Pasman, 1991) were used with the help of correlational research design on the sample of adolescents between age range of 14 and 19 years, comprising of 68 males and 82 females (M = 9, SD = 1.65). To determine the correlation between positive body image, intuitive eating and exercise, Spearman correlation was used, and regression analysis was applied to check prediction hypothesis. Mann Whitney U- test was used to assess gender differences. Results indicated that subscales of intuitive eating (eating for physical rather than emotional reasons (EPR), reliance on hunger and satiety cues (RHSC), and body-food choice congruence (B-FCC) have positive relationship with exercise. Findings also stated that intuitive eating significantly predicted exercise and subscale of intuitive eating (EPR) negatively predicted exercise. Results showed no significant relationship between positive body image and exercise and no significant difference among males and females in positive body image, intuitive eating and exercise. Implication of the findings would help in getting an insight into intuitive eating concept which can be used by health psychologists and nutritionists to develop healthy eating attitudes among adolescents.
Keywords: Positive body image, intuitive eating, exercise, adolescents.
