The Influence of Free-will Starvation on the Relative Mood in Young Women

Abstract

The one of the most popular way to slim is used the free-will starvation especially in young women population. The aim of this preliminary study was to assess the influence of free-will starvation on the relative mood in women.The 32 volunteers, non anorectic, aged 26 ± 2,9 (20-30), randomly separated onto two 16-persons groups, were asked to starve one or two days a week by six eight-days periods (48 days). We assessed the relative mood during starve and common days using the 15-centimetres scale from “definitely unfavourable” and the ending as “definitely favourable”. The volunteers were also asked to answer on 15 items Likert’s five-points scale describing psychology, interpersonal, emotional, and functional being. It was no differences in the assess of relative mood in the one-day starve volunteers between starve and non-starve days (average on 10-centimetres point), it was significance differences (p< 0,05) in the two-days starve volunteers (12 vs. 9,5 centimetres, relatively days without vs. with starvation). In the details items it was observed the significant differences in assessing of the mood in both of groups of women between starve and non-starve days in psychological and emotional status especially in increasing feeling of tiredness, nervousness, interpersonal contacts, as well as decreasing feeling of happiness, understanding, support of family and friends.The results of this preliminary study suggest that uncontrol starvation could be reason of family problems and other interpersonal incorrect behaviour.This work was supported by grant from the National Committee of the Science Research of Poland No 2 P06T 02330.