Eating disorders occur commonly in females during adolescence or in early adulthood. 1 However, recent studies suggest that eating disorders have been increasing over a wider range of ages, from prepubescence to the menopause. 2 Reflecting this tendency, the incidence of pre-pubescent cases appears to have increased in Japan. 3 The desire for thinness and fear of becoming fat, leading to weight loss or prevention of weight gain are the main clinical features of eating disorders. 4,5 Numerous investigators have suggested that dieting, or restrained eating, is one of the major contributing factors in the development of eating disorders. [6][7][8] In Western countries, it has been well documented that significant concerns about body weight and shape leading to dieting in order to be slim are present in preadolescent as well as in adolescent girls. [9][10][11][12] In Japan, however, there are few studies on eating attitudes and behaviours in pre-adolescent boys and girls. [13][14][15][16] The aim of the present study was to evaluate attitudes towards body weight and shape, desire for thinness, and weight reducing behaviour in a sample of Japanese boys and girls aged fom 10 to 17 years, and the results are compared with those in Western countries. MATERIALS AND METHODSThe subjects were 547 elementary school students (267 boys and 280 girls), 615 junior high school students (315 boys and 300 girls), and 470 senior high Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences (1999) AbstractThe attitudes towards body weight and shape, desire for thinness and dieting behaviours were investigated in pre-adolescent and adolescent girls and boys (547 elementary school students, 615 junior high school students, and 470 senior high school students) aged 10-17 years in Osaka Prefecture, Japan, by a self-report questionnaire.Forty-eight per cent of 10-year-old females and 84% of 17-year-old females categorized themselves as 'fat' or 'too fat'. The fear of weight gain and desire for thinness was reported in 35% and 51% of 10-year-old girls, respectively, and increased progressively with ageing to 79% and 87% of 17-year-old girls. In contrast, these were reported by 20-30% of boys in the corresponding age groups. Some practices to be slim were found in 22% of the 10-year-old girls, and increased to 37% among the 17-year-old girls, whereas they were found in around 20% of the boys at each age. The practices to be slim were found in 32% of the girls who were 85-90% of the standard body weight (SBW) and in 14% of the girls less than 85% of the SBW. These results suggest that significant concerns about weight and shape and dieting behaviours are present in young Japanese girls and increase progressively with age. These results are compatible with those in Western society. Key wordsdieting behaviours, pre-adolescent and adolescents, practices to be slim, weight and shape.

No previous study about comorbidity of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in Japan have carried out both a comprehensive investigation using a structured interview and a comparison between ADHD subtypes. The aim of the present study was to clarify the relationship between hyperactivity and disruptive behavior disorder (DBD) in ADHD by comparing a hyperactivity group (HG) with a non-hyperactivity group (non-HG). After diagnosis was carried out by strict exclusion, the 41 ADHD subjects (6-14 years old; IQ, 70-121) diagnosed according to DSM-IV were divided into HG (n = 24) and non-HG (n = 17), and compared for comorbidities and psychopathologies. This was done via semistructured interview with children and parents and questionnaires to parents and teachers. The results demonstrate that (i) most ADHD children had comorbidity (e.g. DBD or anxiety disorder); (ii) the HG had a significantly higher rate of DBD than the non-HG, but the total number of anxiety disorders was not different between subgroups, and (iii) the HG generally had more serious psychopathologies both at home and at school than the non-HG. Both groups had more serious externalizing and internalizing problems at home than at school. The present study provides evidence of a strong relationship between hyperactivity and DBD.

Studies were undertaken on long-term fluctuations of densities of different life stages (planktonic larvae, new settlers, and small and large bivalves) of three bivalve species (Ruditapes philippinarum, Musculista senhousia, Nuttallia olivacea) common on tidal flats, based on samples collected for 7 years from 1990 to 1996 in the Shitomo and Ano Rivers along the west coast of Ise Bay, central Japan. Seasonal and interannual variations in densities of different life stages for the three species were remark able. In general, seasonal variations in densities of planktonic larvae corresponded to those of the benthic populations for each species, while interannual variations in densities of the larvae did not correspond to those of the benthic populations. However, 'great' peaks of densities of the larvae sometimes contributed to establish the benthic populations of each species.

Given the lack of clear consensus on effective treatment models for adolescent anorexia nervosa in Japan, treatment programs offered to this population vary widely between treatment facilities with limited testing of outcomes. Importantly, families have traditionally been left out of the core treatment process, as they are commonly viewed as being powerless in renourishing their child. The purpose of this commentary was to report the authors' preliminary efforts to introduce and implement family-based treatment (FBT) in Japan so that, on par with international standards of practice, FBT may become the first-line treatment option for Japanese families. This

Psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES) are observable changes in behavior or consciousness that are similar to epileptic seizures but are not associated with electrophysiologic changes. PNES occur in children with underlying psychological distress and are especially frequent in those with epilepsy. Because PNES are heterogeneous, comprehensive treatment tailored to each patient is required to reduce psychosocial stress. Currently, reports regarding children with PNES concomitant with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) do not exist, and effective treatment strategies for these children are lacking. In this case report, we describe a 10-year-old Japanese girl with undiagnosed ASD who developed PNES while undergoing treatment for benign childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes. She exhibited hypersensitivity to sound and interpersonal conflicts caused by social communication deficits. The PNES symptoms improved shortly after our intervention, which was designed to reduce her distress caused by auditory hypersensitivity and impaired social communication, both characteristics of ASD. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report describing PNES in a child with ASD. Our findings suggest that PNES can result from psychological distress in children with undiagnosed ASD and highlight the importance of examining ASD traits in patients with PNES.