Eating-disordered behaviors, body fat, and psychopathology in overweight and normal-weight children.
This study examined eating-disordered pathology in relation to psychopathology and adiposity in 162 non-treatment-seeking overweight (OW) and normal weight (NW) children, ages 6-13 years. Participants experienced objective or subjective binge eating (S/OBE; loss-of-control eating), objective overeating (OO), or no episodes (NE). OW children experienced significantly higher eating-disordered cognitions and behaviors than NW children and more behavior problems than NW children: 9.3% endorsed S/OBEs, 20.4% reported OOs, and 70.4% reported NEs. OW children reported S/OBEs more frequently than did NW children (p =.01), but similar percentages endorsed OOs. S/OBE children experienced greater eating-disordered cognitions (ps from <.05 to <.01) and had higher body fat (p <.05) than OOs or NEs. OOs are common in childhood, but S/OBEs are more prevalent in OW children and associated with increased adiposity and eating-disordered cognitions.
Tanofsky-Kraff
Marian
M
Unit on Growth & Obesity, Developmental Endocrinology Branch, National Institite of Child Health & Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
Yanovski
Susan Z
SZ
Wilfley
Denise E
DE
Marmarosh
Cheri
C
Morgan
Christina M
CM
Yanovski
Jack A
JA
D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000502:physiology*; D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000523:psychology*