Research in the area of health related behaviors indicates that the likelihood of behavioral change is influenced by the manner in which the persuasive communication is framed (Rothman & Salovey, 1997; Kahneman and Tversky, 1979). People are more likely to choose an option that they perceive as risky when they are presented with the possible outcomes in terms of potential losses (loss-frame) rather than potential gains (gain-frame) Since overweight individuals have typically failed at least once at attempting to lose weight, they are facing the risk of another failure and therefore must risk the possibility of another failure when making an additional weight loss attempt. In presenting information on weight loss to overweight and obese individuals, therefore, the goal is to increase risk-seeking behavior.

Issue involvement has also been identified as a moderating variable in how individuals respond to information (Petty and Cacioppo, 1979). Research in this area has found loss-framed messages are relatively more effective if individuals are high in issue involvement (Maheswaran and Meyers-Levy, 1990).

The current study examined the effect of message frame and issue involvement in weight loss information presentations on the likelihood of engaging in weight loss behaviors. Sixty-four overweight (BMI of 25 or more) college age women were randomly assigned to one of four conditions; high or low issue involvement and gain or loss frame message. Alter completing information about their current diet and exercise frequency, participants were presented with pamphlets containing weight-loss information and then asked to complete questionnaires regarding their attitudes and opinions regarding weight-loss and the pamphlets. Participants were also contacted three times after the initial manipulation to assess their current diet and exercise frequency. Results showed that, overall, participants significantly increased their self-reported food frequency of exercise at the 2, 4, and 6 week follow up intervals and increased their self-reported food restriction at the four and six week follow-up intervals. In addition, participants in the loss-frame condition reported significantly higher frequency of self-reported food restriction than participants in the gain-frame group. There were no significant findings for the effects of involvement.