Dieting

Restraint Theory 

Restraint has become synonymous with dieting. Research suggests 89% of the female population in the UK consciously restrain their food intake at some point in their lives. 
Research: Herman and Mack (1975)

Support for the claim that dietary restraint can lead to overeating comes from Wardle and Beales (1988). 


Boundary Model

Introduced by Herman and Polivy - explains why restrained eaters eat more after preloads. 

The Boundary Model - Hunger keeps intake of food above a certain minimum, and satiety works to keep intake below some maximum level. Between these two levels, psychological factors have the greatest impact on consumption. Dieters tend to have a larger range between hunger and satiety. Restrained eaters have a self-imposed desired intake and once they have gone over this boundary, they continue to eat until they reach satiety. This leads to the 'what-the-hell' effect. 

Role of Denial 

Attempting to suppress or deny a thought frequently has the opposite effect, e.g. Wegner et al (1987). 
As dieters begin to restrain themselves and make certain foods 'forbidden', they begin to think about the foods more. 

Motivation

Motivation from the individual and others has shown important in the success/failure of dieting. If someone is motivated, they are usually more successful in their diet. 
Research: Thomas and Stern (1995)

Detail

When people get into a routine, food becomes boring and same-ish. To avoid this, people should concentrate on details of their food to be more successful with their dieting. 
Research: Jelly Beans Experiment

Social Support

Support groups like WeightWatchers have a huge success rate mainly attributed to their support systems and the support people get from other members. 
Research: Lowe et al (2004)

Goal Setting

When people set goals, they generally feel more motivated to continue until they reach the goals they've set. 
Research: Bartlett (2003)