TY - JOUR
T1 - Self-Weighing in Adolescents
T2 - Helpful or Harmful? Longitudinal Associations with Body Weight Changes and Disordered Eating
AU - Neumark-Sztainer, Dianne
AU - van den Berg, Patricia
AU - Hannan, Peter J.
AU - Story, Mary
N1 - Copyright:
Copyright 2008 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2006/12
Y1 - 2006/12
N2 - Purpose: This study addresses the question: Is frequent self-weighing related to changes in body weight and disordered eating behaviors over a 5-year period among adolescent females and males? Methods: Project EAT is a 5-year population-based longitudinal study. Participants completed surveys exploring factors associated with eating and weight concerns. Participants included 2516 adolescents who were transitioning from early to middle adolescence (younger cohort) and from middle to late adolescence (older cohort). Results: In the older cohort of females and in both cohorts of males, frequent self-weighing at Time 1 was not associated with weight changes at Time 2 (5 years later), after adjusting for Time 1 weight status and sociodemographic characteristics. In the younger cohort of females, Time 1 frequent self-weighing predicted weight increases at Time 2. In both cohorts of females, but not in males, Time 1 frequent self-weighing predicted higher prevalences of Time 2 disordered eating behaviors, including unhealthy weight control behaviors and binge eating, after adjusting for Time 1 behavioral outcomes, weight status, and sociodemographic characteristics. Conclusions: Frequent self-weighing was not associated with weight change, with the exception of predicting weight increases in younger females. In females, but not males, self-weighing predicted a higher frequency of binge eating and unhealthy weight control behaviors. Although further research is needed to explore the potential merits and problems associated with regular self-weighing, the findings suggest that population-based obesity prevention strategies targeting adolescents should avoid messages likely to lead to frequent self-weighing.
AB - Purpose: This study addresses the question: Is frequent self-weighing related to changes in body weight and disordered eating behaviors over a 5-year period among adolescent females and males? Methods: Project EAT is a 5-year population-based longitudinal study. Participants completed surveys exploring factors associated with eating and weight concerns. Participants included 2516 adolescents who were transitioning from early to middle adolescence (younger cohort) and from middle to late adolescence (older cohort). Results: In the older cohort of females and in both cohorts of males, frequent self-weighing at Time 1 was not associated with weight changes at Time 2 (5 years later), after adjusting for Time 1 weight status and sociodemographic characteristics. In the younger cohort of females, Time 1 frequent self-weighing predicted weight increases at Time 2. In both cohorts of females, but not in males, Time 1 frequent self-weighing predicted higher prevalences of Time 2 disordered eating behaviors, including unhealthy weight control behaviors and binge eating, after adjusting for Time 1 behavioral outcomes, weight status, and sociodemographic characteristics. Conclusions: Frequent self-weighing was not associated with weight change, with the exception of predicting weight increases in younger females. In females, but not males, self-weighing predicted a higher frequency of binge eating and unhealthy weight control behaviors. Although further research is needed to explore the potential merits and problems associated with regular self-weighing, the findings suggest that population-based obesity prevention strategies targeting adolescents should avoid messages likely to lead to frequent self-weighing.
KW - Adolescence
KW - Binge eat
KW - Disordered eating
KW - Eating disorders
KW - Longitudinal
KW - Obesity
KW - Overweight
KW - Self-monitoring
KW - Self-weighing
KW - Weight control
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U2 - 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2006.07.002
DO - 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2006.07.002
M3 - Article
C2 - 17116510
AN - SCOPUS:33751021725
SN - 1054-139X
VL - 39
SP - 811
EP - 818
JO - Journal of Adolescent Health
JF - Journal of Adolescent Health
IS - 6
ER -