A prospective study of loss of control eating for body weight gain in children at high risk for adult obesity.
OBJECTIVE
Limited data suggest that disordered-eating may predispose children to excessive weight gain. We investigated the relationship between baseline responses to the Eating Disorder Examination adapted for Children (ChEDE) and change in BMI (kg/m(2)) in children at high risk for adult obesity.


METHODS
Children (6-12 years) were administered the ChEDE to assess loss of control (LOC) eating, dietary restraint, and eating, shape, and weight concern. Height and weight were measured at baseline and annually.


RESULTS
Between July, 1999, and August, 2007, 772 measurements were obtained from 143 children over 4.5 +/- 1.9 years. LOC eating predicted an increased rate of BMI growth over time (p = .02). Compared with children without LOC, those reporting LOC gained an additional mean 2.4 kg of weight per year.


CONCLUSIONS
LOC is a salient predictor of weight gain during middle childhood. Interventions that decrease LOC eating should be evaluated for their ability to prevent excessive pediatric weight gain.
Tanofsky-Kraff
Marian
M
Unit on Growth and Obesity, Program in Developmental Endocrinology and Genetics, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, Maryland, USA. mtanofsky@usuhs.edu
Yanovski
Susan Z
SZ
Schvey
Natasha A
NA
Olsen
Cara H
CH
Gustafson
Jennifer
J
Yanovski
Jack A
JA
D001294:Attitude to Health; D015984:Causality; D002648:Child; D019959:Feeding and Eating Disorders of Childhood / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000523:psychology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012306:Risk; D015430:Weight Gain