A qualitative study on body image and diet among women

Themes emerging from women who scored high on the Body Esteem Scale will be different from the women who scored low on the Body Esteem Scale. One hundred and nine faculty and staff women of Ball State University completed the Eating Attitudes Test and the Body Esteem Scale to answer the first hypothesis and established a low, medium and high body esteem groups, (BES) in order to answer the second hypothesis. Twenty-eight volunteers, (of the 109) were individually interviewed.A significant difference was found at the .05 level in the subject's present weight, between groups one and two and between groups one and three thus supporting the first hypothesis. Interviews revealed a greater number of negative responses were recorded in the lower BES group and a greater number of positive responses were recorded in the higher BES group thus supporting the second hypothesis. Further study is recommended.Fisher Institute for WellnessThesis (M.S.