[Adolescent obesity: anxiety, cognitive and behavioural symptoms characteristic of eating disorders].
OBJECTIVE
To assess the presence of symptoms of anxiety, cognitive and behavioural symptoms characteristic of eating disorders in overweight adolescents.


METHODS
The sample consisted of 297 adolescents (55.2% female and 44.8% male) aged from 11 to 17 years, divided into four groups according to their BMI percentile: normal weight, overweight, obesity and severe obesity. The questionnaires used were the Eating Disorders Inventory-2 (EDI-2) and the state-trait anxiety questionnaire (STAI).


RESULTS
The results showed that the adolescents with severe obesity were more concerned about their physical appearance (body dissatisfaction and obsession with being thin), by their social environment (interpersonal distrust), and showed more anxiety state and anxiety trait than adolescent overweight or obese. In the clinical sample, the adolescents with normal weight showed specific factors for developing eating disorders in the future.


CONCLUSIONS
As the BMI increased, symptoms of anxiety and symptoms associated with eating disorders were also increased. The findings of this study are discussed in order to improve therapeutic interventions.
Calderón
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Departamento de Personalidad, Evaluación y Tratamiento Psicológico, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad de Barcelona, Barcelona, España. ccalderon@ub.edu
Forns
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Varea
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D000293:Adolescent; D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology*; D002648:Child; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology*