Weight loss maintenance as an aspect of family emotion and process

Abstract

The Expressed Emotion Index (EE) has been used with a high degree of success in predicting relapse of psychiatric patients in the UK. This study examined the usefulness of EE as a predictor of weight loss maintenance in women in the USA. In a sample of 28, with a relapse rate of 50%, EE correctly predicted maintenance for 78.5% of the cases. A more economical, paper-and-pencil test of marital relationship (Relationship Style Inventory) correlated significantly with EE (r = 0.64) but did not successfully predict weight maintenance (r = 0.29).