Dietary restraint in normal weight and overweight children. A cross-sectional study.
OBJECTIVE
This study investigated the degree to which actual fatness and negative self-esteem might be linked to dietary restraint in childhood.


METHODS
Subjects were 426 boys and 319 girls, aged 10.6 y (+/- 1 y). Forty-nine children were overweight (> 30%) and 149 subjects were in the category 'moderately overweight' (10-30% overweight). Measures of self-esteem and dietary restraint were used in the analyses.


RESULTS
Dietary restraint was observable in all weight groups and significantly more in girls. Boys and girls with an existing fatness problem showed more dietary restraint. Weight status, not self-esteem, turned out to be the best predictor of dietary restraint.


CONCLUSIONS
Because there were good reasons to expect side-effects of the observed dietary restraint in obese children in the long term, valuable alternatives like changes in the life-style and interventions that enhance body image and self-esteem were recommended.
Braet
C
C
Department of Developmental and Personality Psychology, University of Gent, Belgium. Caroline.Braet@rug.ac.be
Wydhooge
K
K
D000886:Anthropometry; D001835:Body Weight; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet; D004435:Eating / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012649:Self Concept; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires