Fifteen-year Weight and Disordered Eating Patterns Among Community-based Adolescents

Andrea B. Goldschmidt, Melanie M. Wall, Tse Hwei J. Choo, E. Whitney Evans, Elissa Jelalian, Nicole Larson, Dianne Neumark-Sztainer

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18 Scopus citations

Abstract

Introduction The current study aims to characterize weight-change trajectories and their concomitant associations with prospectively measured dieting and other disordered eating behaviors among initially nonoverweight adolescents during the transition to adulthood. Methods A population-based sample (n=1,091) self-reported their height/weight, dieting, unhealthy weight-control behaviors, and binge eating at 5-year intervals between 1998/1999 and 2013/2014, spanning early/middle adolescence through middle/late young adulthood. Data were analyzed in 2016/2017. Results Groups were categorized as those who were never overweight (n=562), were overweight during at least one measurement point and gained weight more rapidly (n=246) or gradually (n=238) than their peers, or were overweight during at least one measurement point but returned to nonoverweight status by middle/late young adulthood (n=45). Thus, nearly half of adolescents became overweight during the transition to adulthood. Those who were never overweight had the lowest rates of dieting (males: F[9, 1,314]=2.54, p=0.0069, females: F[9, 1,927]=3.02, p=0.0014) and unhealthy weight-control behaviors (males: F[9, 1,313]=3.30, p=0.0005, females: F[9, 1,927]=3.02, p=0.0014), whereas some of these behaviors tended to track with weight gain in rapid and gradual weight gainers. Conclusions Although adolescents who are already overweight are most frequently targeted for weight-gain prevention and early intervention programs, results suggest that healthy lifestyle interventions could also benefit individuals who may be perceived as low risk for overweight in adulthood by nature of being nonoverweight in adolescence. Dieting and unhealthy weight-control behaviors tended to be associated with weight gain, suggesting that they are ineffective in addition to being potentially harmful.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)e21-e29
JournalAmerican journal of preventive medicine
Volume54
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 2018

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
The project described was supported by grant R01-HL093247 from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (PI: Dianne Neumark-Sztainer). Dr. Goldschmidt’s time was supported by grant K23-DK105234 from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, and Dr. Evans’ time was support by grant K01-DK110142 from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of NIH.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 American Journal of Preventive Medicine

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