Abstract

The aim of the study is to reveal how exercising women feel and behave in fitness clubs environment. Methods. Body mass index (BMI). weight loss strategy, exercising motivation and ehaviour, body mass dissatisfaction. Attitude towards own body weight were evaluated according to anonymous 40-item questionnaire. The sample of 287 was selected from women involved in recreational physical activity in Kaunas fitness clubs. Mean age of the sample was 29.4 ± 9 years. Results: The majority of the women had normal weight (n = 222, 77.4%), 13 (4.5%) were underweight, 52 (18%) were overweight. 39% of women were engaged only in aerobics groups, 33.1% in workout hall, 27.9% combined both types of sports. Most of the women were practising for figure improvement reason (39.7%) and 75.3% sought to reduce their body weight. 43 (15.5%) women reported using unhealthy weight reduction behaviour (smoke, use laxatives, duretics, diet pills, vomiting, etc.), which is the most evidence in groups of dissatisfied with their body women and exercising for figure improvement reason (p < 0.001). 29.9% of women experienced depression regarding their figures after attending a fitness club. The images in mirrors cause negative emotions for the majority (90.6%) of women regarding their bodies, 47% compared their bodies to the bodies of other women, and felt themselves inferior, therefore, one third of women avoids clothing emphasising their body shape during Sports. These emotions were more expressed among, women with higher BMI (p < 0.005), dissatisfied with own body (p < 0.005), and exercising for appearance reason (p < 0.005). Instructor’s encouragement to go on diet and to use slimming food supplements was more often related with overeating behaviour (p < 0.05), and frequency of dieting (p < 0.001) of women. It was revealed that the obligatory exercising, which can be psychologically, socially and physically wasting, is featured by women in fitness clubs. These behaviours were the most expressed in BMI, reason for exercise and instructor’s role groups. Conclusion: The strongest predictors of weight loss behavior among women exercising in fitness clubs were: body dissatisfaction, exercise motivation for appearance reason, instructor’s encouragement to go on diet and use slimming supplements. The biggest influence of fitness environment felt overweight women. Fitness environment may promote negative emotions towards own body, unhealthy exercising and weight loss behavior among women with normal BMI. Verf.-Referat