Siwarak Kitchanapaiboon. Thinking system and decision making process on weight loss behavior among overweight adolescents in Bangkok Metropolitan . Master's Degree(Health Education and Behavioral Sciences). Mahidol University. : Mahidol University, 2007.
Thinking system and decision making process on weight loss behavior among overweight adolescents in Bangkok Metropolitan
Abstract:
The objective of this qualitative research was to study the thinking system, decision making
process, and weight loss behavior of overweight adolescents in Bangkok Metropolitan, and the effects of
weight loss behavior on study, family, society, economics, and health. The data were collected from 12
main sources selected from communication through internet and snowball-technique. The data were
collected by employing indepth interview and observation of behavior and attitudes. The data collected
were classified in groups and cause-effect analysis has been done in accordance with the contents and
themes in order to answer the research objectives.
The results of the study showed that overweight adolescents’ main thinking system, meanings,
and values on obesity that led them to decision making related to 4 issues: 1) beauty obesity was ugly; 2)
love obesity was the obstacle of love; 3) being sociable: obesity made them the jokers in the society and
4) health obesity is dangerous and may lead to death. The fourth issue may occur very rarely and is often
found among those who have already had health problems. There were 3 stages of decision making, the
first stage, the stage where obesity became a problem, is where the adolescents began to be aware of their
obesity and defined the meaning and value of their obesity, leading to decision making. Each adolescent,
before making a decision, needed some time to consider beauty and love. The second stage concerned the
decision to lose weight, in this stage there were 2 groups of adolescents, the group of overweight
adolescents who made the decision immediately and had high perceived self-efficacy, and those who
needed some time to make a decision and relied on information and opinions from friends. The last stage
was the practice of weight loss behavior. The methods practiced by the sampled adolescents were
physical exercise, changing of eating behavior, using of food supplement products for weight loss, and
using services of weight loss centers. It was found that overweight adolescents used both a single
method and a combination of many methods depending on their reasons, emotions, persuasion from
friends, and perceptions from advertising media. The decision making of most overweight adolescents
was made without applying scientific information or reasons but was usually based on information from
friends and advertising media. Regarding the effects of weight loss behavior, it was found that most of the
families provided adolescents with financial and psychological support. They also received more
psychological support from their friends. The explicit effects of weight loss behavior among overweight
adolescents on economics and study were not found because they could adjust themselves in accordance
with the conditions. They spent money accordingly with their own conditions and their responsibilities for
their own stage.
This study provides a better understanding about the views towards being overweight
among adolescents. The information can be used to guide intervention for promoting healthy
weight loss, particularly to improve skills on decision making for overweight adolescents based on
the context of the society.