Health Behaviour and Body Esteem Profiles in Women Who Achieved a Normal BMI After Non-Pharmacological Weight Loss: Differences in Life Satisfaction.

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Women who reach a normal BMI after non-pharmacological weight loss may differ in health behaviours and body esteem. We identified profiles based on four health behaviour and three body esteem dimensions and compared their life satisfaction. Methods: This exploratory analysis included 122 women aged 20-37 who reported reaching a BMI of 18.5-24.9 kg/m² and completed the second assessment of a two-stage study. They were married or cohabiting and had at least one child. Approximately 1000 women participated in the first assessment but were not actively followed. Standardised post-weight-loss indicators were analysed using Ward clustering and k-means++; solutions (k = 2-6) and stability were assessed using silhouette coefficients, classification agreement, and bootstrapping. Results: Two descriptive profiles emerged: relatively more favourable (n = 69) and relatively less favourable (n = 53). Overall life satisfaction was higher in the former (245.75 ± 46.63 vs. 197.77 ± 43.16; Hedges' g = 1.06, 95% CI 0.68-1.44), as were scores across ten life domains. Profile membership was associated with the self-selected weight-loss method (χ²(3) = 53.80; p < 0.001; Cramer's V = 0.66), without implying a causal advantage or effectiveness of any method. Conclusions: Among these 122 women, a similar final BMI co-occurred with distinct health behaviour and body esteem patterns associated with life satisfaction. Because participants who did not return were not actively followed, the frequency of these profiles among all initially assessed women or all women attempting weight loss cannot be estimated. The exploratory profiles require independent replication.