[Comparison of the effects of narrative therapy and diet therapy on the body mass index in overweight and obese women]

ABSTRACT

This study was carried out with the aim of comparing the effect of diet therapy and narrative intervention on the extent of body mass index [BMI] reduction in overweight and obese women. This was a quasi experimental-interventional study, in which 30 overweight women were selected by random sampling from among those consulting the Diet Clinic and randomly assigned to one of 2 intervention [group 1, diet therapy alone; group 2, diet therapy plus narrative therapy] and a control group [receiving no intervention]. The period of intervention was 5 weeks. Weight of all the subjects with light clothing was measured by a Seca scale to the nearest 0.5 kg and their height by a stadio-meter to the nearest 0.5 cm. The BMI was calculated by dividing weight [in kg] by squared height [m2]. The data were analyzed using the SPSS 16 software, the statistical test being covariance analysis and paired t- test. Data analysis showed that diet therapy alone [group 1] had no significant effect on the BMI [P>0.05], while in group 2 [diet therapy plus narrative therapy] BMI decreased significantly [P<0.001]. Inter-group comparison [among the 3 groups] showed that there were no significant difference between diet therapy and narrative therapy with regard to BMI. The findings show that in the first phase of intervention life narratives about overweight help obese women correct their nutritional habits. This is followed by BMI reduction in the second phase. Since diet therapy is not consistent with the women's life narratives, it plays no role in correcting life narratives for more successful dieting. Considering the efficacy of narrative therapy in body mass index reduction and no effect by diet therapy alone, further studies on the life narratives of overweight women and their correction are recommended