Body mass index and disordered eating behaviors are associated with weight dissatisfaction in adolescent and young adult female military recruits.
OBJECTIVE
To examine factors associated with weight dissatisfaction, a risk factor for eating disorders, among female Marine recruits.


METHODS
A diverse adolescent/young adult sample of 2157 female recruits completed a questionnaire upon entering Marine Corps training. Weight dissatisfaction was the main variable of interest.


RESULTS
Body mass index (BMI), disordered eating history, and worry about meeting military "weight" were related highly to weight dissatisfaction. Women with BMIs near the upper limit of the Marine Corps weight standard (23.5 kg/m2) reported the highest rates of weight dissatisfaction. Those who reported vomiting, binging or pill use, or being worried about "making weight" were four and five times, respectively, more likely to report weight dissatisfaction.


CONCLUSIONS
New female Marine recruits with higher BMIs, disordered eating histories, and worries about "making weight" are significantly more likely to be weight dissatisfied. Such findings may identify those at risk for developing eating disorders when exposed to strict military weight standards.
Garber
Andrea K
AK
Division of Adolescent Medicine, University of California San Francisco, 3333 California Street, Suite 245, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.
Boyer
Cherrie B
CB
Pollack
Lance M
LM
Chang
Y Jason
YJ
Shafer
Mary-Ann
MA
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001828:Body Image; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology