Dieting and Unhealthy Weight Control Behaviors During Adolescence: Associations With 10-Year Changes in Body Mass Index

Abstract

Background Dieting and unhealthy weight control behaviors are common among adolescents and questions exist regarding their long-term effect on weight status. Objective To examine 10-year longitudinal associations between dieting and unhealthy weight control behaviors and changes in body mass index (BMI) from adolescence to young adulthood. Methods and Procedures A diverse population-based sample of middle school and high school adolescents was followed for 10 years. Participants (N=1,902) completed surveys in 1998–99 (Project EAT-I), 2003–04 (Project EAT-II), and 2008–09 (Project EAT-III). Dieting and unhealthy weight control behaviors at Time 1 and Time 2 were used to predict 10-year changes in BMI at Time 3, adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics and Time 1 BMI. Results Dieting and unhealthy weight control behaviors at both Time 1 and Time 2 predicted greater BMI increases at Time 3 in males and females, as compared to no use of these behaviors. For example, females using unhealthy weight control behaviors at both Time 1 and Time 2 increased their BMI by 4.63 units as compared to 2.29 units in females not using these behaviors (p<.001). Associations were found in both overweight and non-overweight respondents. Specific weight control behaviors at Time 1 that predicted larger BMI increases at Time 3 included skipping meals and reporting eating very little (females and males), use of food substitutes (males), and diet pill use (females). Conclusions Findings clearly indicate that dieting and unhealthy weight control behaviors, as reported by adolescents, predict significant weight gain over time.

Biopsychosocial Model of Dietary Restraint in Early Adolescent Boys

“…Although my study was cross-sectional, the results were consistent with longitudinal results demonstrating that early adolescent boys are dieting (Kjelsås, Bjørnstrøm, & Götestam, 2004; and, in doing so, are at risk for negative health outcomes, including binge eating (Goldschmidt, Wall, Loth, Le Grange, & Neumark-Sztainer, 2012;Hautala et al, 2008), weight cycling (i.e., Fisher, Sinton, & Birch, 2009;Mathews & Lynn, 2008;Neumark-Sztainer, Wall, Story, Perry, & Standish, 2012), and obesity (Burton, Smit, & Lightowler, 2007). Given that boys are self-reporting relatively high levels of dietary restraint ) and dieting appears to be directly influenced by social pressures, intervention programs that target messages about weight, dieting, and physical appearance may reduce boys' risk for developing dietary restraint.…”

“…Within the past decade, researchers (e.g., Cafri et al, 2005;Halliwell & Harvey, 2006;Petrie, Greenleaf, & Martin, 2010;Valois, Zullig, Huebner, & Drane, 2003) have begun to examine disordered eating and dietary intent (i.e., intentional restriction of caloric intake for to lose weight; Stice, Sysko, Roberto, & Allison, 2010) in boys because (a) adolescence appears to be a risk period for the development of disordered eating behaviors (Stice & Peterson, 2007), (b) boys, like girls, are self-reporting relatively high levels of dieting , and (c) the etiology of dietary intent appears to be multidimensional, including psychosocial (e.g., internalization, body comparisons) and physical factors (e.g., adiposity and fitness). Moreover, self-reported dietary restraint has been associated with negative health outcomes, including binge eating (Goldschmidt, Wall, Loth, Le Grange, & Neumark-Sztainer 2012;Hautala et al, 2008), weight cycling (i.e., cycles of weight loss and weight gain; Fisher, Sinton, & Birch, 2009;Mathews & Lynn, 2008;Neumark-Sztainer, Wall, Story, Perry, & Standish, 2012), and obesity (Burton, Smit, & Lightowler, 2007).…”

“…For example, in a sample of 8 to 9 year old boys, 45.3% were scared about being overweight, 29.5% thought about being thinner, and 37.4% reported that they had been on a diet . Second, self-reported dietary restraint has been associated with a host of negative health outcomes, including binge eating (Goldschmidt, Wall, Loth, Le Grange, & Neumark-Sztainer, 2012;Hautala et al, 2008), weight cycling (i.e., cycles of weight loss and weight gain; Fisher, Sinton, & Birch, 2009;Mathews & Lynn, 2008;Neumark-Sztainer, Wall, Story, Perry, & Standish, 2012), and obesity (Burton, Smit, & Lightowler, 2007). Third, the transition from childhood to adolescence is a time when girls and women are at increased risk for the development of eating disorders (Eddy, Keel, & Leon, 2010;Stice & Bulik, 2008;Stice & Peterson, 2007), and similar outcomes are expected for boys (Halliwell & Harvey, 2006;Smolak & Thompson, 2009).…”

Insatisfacción corporal y conductas de control del peso en chicas adolescentes con sobrepeso: papel mediador de la ansiedad y la depresión

“…Diversos estudios han encontrado una relación alta entre el índice de masa corporal (IMC) y la utilización de conductas no saludables de control del peso en adolescentes (3)(4)(5)(6)(7). Dicha relación se debe, en gran medida, a que el sobrepeso y la obesidad, entre otros problemas, generan una alta insatisfacción corporal, que es un factor de riesgo para llevar a cabo comportamientos no saludables de control del peso que, en muchas ocasiones, desencadenan trastornos alimentarios.…”

Cluster analysis of behavioural weight management strategies and associations with weight change in young women: a longitudinal analysis

“…It is concerning that a high proportion of the perpetual dieters used 271 unhealthy strategies to manage their weight, as these strategies are associated with eating 272 disorders and weight cycles of loss and regain, which may be harmful for health (27,28).…”