A fat lot of good this is : an investigation of the possible reasons which surround the decision by women to drop out of a weight loss programme

Abstract

'A Fat Lot of Good This Is' is an examination of the ways in which twelve New Zealand adult women think about dropping out from weight loss programmes. The first four chapters of the thesis describe some of the current theories concerning weight management and dropout, methodology used in the research, and background cultural and historical information which aids an understanding of the issues confronting New Zealand women today in relation to body and self image. The final part of the thesis identifies the patterns and reasons the women interviewed provided for dropping out. An analysis from a feminist post structuralist perspective then concludes the thesis.