Autonomy Support From Family and Friends and Weight Loss in College Women

This study examined the effect of autonomy support and autonomous self-regulation on self-reported weight loss. Participants reported significantly greater weight loss when they perceived their family and friends as autonomy supportive of their weight loss efforts. Autonomy support from family and friends was also shown to moderate the effects of an experimental intervention that was delivered in an autonomy-supportive or controlling manner. Furthermore, autonomy support was significantly related to autonomous self-regulation, but its effects on weight loss held true even after controlling for self-regulation, suggesting an independent role of autonomy support from important others. Finally, the effects of autonomy support were distinguished from more directive support from significant others, which did not show similar effects. These findings point to the potential usefulness of developing intervention strategies focused on facilitating the autonomy-supportive behavior of significant others.