Abnormal eating attitudes in London schoolgirls--a prospective epidemiological study: outcome at twelve month follow-up.
The occurrence and course of eating disorder in a large representative population of 15-year-old London schoolgirls has been assessed using a two-stage survey methodology. Attempts to control weight were common and often transient. Dieting was in the great majority of girls found to be a benign practice without progression to more extreme concerns about food and weight. However, a small proportion of dieters did become cases and formed the majority of new cases found at follow-up. The relative risk of dieters becoming cases was eight times that of non-dieters. Many factors conventionally associated with eating disorder were associated more with attempting weight control than caseness. These included pre-morbid personality, pre-morbid obesity and family weight pathology. Other factors, including social class, career choice and psychosexual development, had no association either with attempting weight control or caseness.
Patton
G C
GC
Academic Department of Psychiatry, Royal Free Hospital, London.
Johnson-Sabine
E
E
Wood
K
K
Mann
A H
AH
Wakeling
A
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D001290:Attitude; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004038:Diet, Reducing / Q000523:psychology; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008131:London / Q000453:epidemiology; D010556:Personality Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors