Psychoeducational group intervention for weight loss and body image in university women

¶ … Efficacious Treatment Interventions in an Overweight Female Population in a University Setting

Prospectus: Weight Loss & Body Image Analysis

Work Group's Rationale for This Particular Group

This group was selected because many young women in the United States are at high risk of becoming overweight and even obese, and the adverse impact on their health is well documented (Winter, 2005). Some overweight young women will also suffer from profound body image and self-esteem issues, and the research to date suggests that self-esteem and self-worth are associated with body image more for women than for men (Markey & Markey, 2005).

Type of Group

The proposed group type would be a psychoeducational group that would focus on breaking obsessive patterns of eating, body image, weight loss and coping skills (Corey & Corey, 2006). A university setting will allow for diversity of cultural background of the participants. Participants would be recruited through announcements in class, school bulletin boards, and Web sites and would remain anonymous to ensure the recruitment of the maximum number of eligible women. The closed meetings would consist of 15 or fewer members, would be conducted on a weekly basis for approximately 2 hours in a private university classroom or meeting area, and informed consent, eligibility screening and other relevant issues would be addressed in a meeting to be conducted prior to the first formal group meeting.