Relationship among self‐esteem, internal‐external locus of control, and weight change after participation in a weight reduction program

This report covers 15 to 47 months of follow‐up study of 66 obese women who participated in a 10‐week weight reduction program. Subjects were divided into three self‐esteem groups and into two groups of “internal” and “external” subjects. The average weight regain during the follow‐up period was 3.1 kg, although all subjects remained below their pretreatment weight. The higher the self‐esteem score, the lower the average weight regain during follow‐up (1.7 kg, 2.6 kg, and 3.5 kg, respectively). For internals the average weight regain was 1.8 kg and for externals 3.4 kg. Implications are discussed, and suggestions for improved weight reduction programs are presented.