The Self-Regulation in Physical Activity, Nutrition and Obesity research group focuses on behavioral and psychosocial aspects of physical activity and exercise, nutrition and eating behavior, and obesity/weight control. It includes 10 doctorate-level investigators and 2 graduate students and is led by Full Professor Pedro Teixeira. Its mission is to study and evaluate self-regulation processes in behavior related to health and well-being and develop models and intervention methods centered on motivation and aimed at lifestyle change and maintenance.
The group has four main research lines / programs:
- The study of motivational, self-regulatory, and behavioral predictors of healthful eating, physical activity, and weight control;
- The design, evaluation and implementation of health behavior change (HBC) interventions, using self-regulation and motivation theory, namely self-determination theory;
- The role of physical activity/exercise behaviors in weight management, namely its association with weight-related outcomes, body image, and psychological well-being;
- Developing measurement instruments to capture self-regulation, motivation, physical activity/exercise, and eating behaviors, building a national repository available in open and free access.
