Some relationships between body image, "energy balance' and body weight loss in male and female students undergoing voluntary slimming.

A PREVIOUS report’ indicated a tendency for British males to delude themselves concerning ideal bodyweight and whether or not they needed to slim, whereas females were more realistic in these respects. That investigation concerned adults of varying ages. The study reported here set out to determine whether these findings could be confirmed in a population of young Polytechnic students. At the same time opportunity was taken to examine certain aspects of energy balance during slimming. Slimming (bodyweight loss) depends upon energy expenditure exceeding food energy input. Essentially, energy expenditure consists of dissipation of heat due to basal or resting metabolism (measured in