title: Overvaluation of shape and weight among overweight children and adolescents with loss of control eating.
abstract: Little is known about the phenomenology of pediatric loss of control (LOC) eating. Overvaluation of shape and weight, however, appears to be diagnostically meaningful among binge eating adults. We explored the significance of shape and weight overvaluation among children and adolescents with LOC eating. Participants (n = 526) included 149 overweight youth with LOC eating and 377 overweight controls (CON). Participants were categorized as those reporting at least moderate overvaluation (LOC-Mod, n = 74; CON-Mod, n = 106) or less than moderate overvaluation (LOC-Low, n = 75; CON-Low, n = 271), and compared on measures of eating-related and general psychopathology. LOC-Mod evidenced lower self-esteem than CON-Low, and greater behavioral problems than CON-Mod and CON-Low, but did not differ from LOC-Low in these domains. With the exception of LOC-Low and CON-Mod, all groups differed on global eating-disorder severity, with LOC-Mod scoring the highest. Overvaluation of shape and weight appears to be of questionable importance in defining subtypes of youth with LOC eating. However, as overvaluation and LOC eating each independently predicts eating-disorder onset, their confluence may confer even further risk for eating-disorder development. Longitudinal studies should address this possibility. Developmentally appropriate discussion about body image disturbance may be indicated in interventions targeting pediatric LOC eating and/or obesity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, The University of Chicago, 5841 South Maryland Avenue, MC 3077, Chicago, IL 60637, USA. goldschmidta@uchicago.edu
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Goldschmidt
authors.forename: Denise E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Wilfley
authors.forename: Kamryn T
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Eddy
authors.forename: Kerri
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Boutelle
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zucker
authors.forename: Carol B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Peterson
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Celio-Doyle
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Le Grange
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D057215:Body Dysmorphic Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D001828:Body Image; D049628:Body Size; D001835:Body Weight; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D050177:Overweight / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D012016:Reference Values; D012649:Self Concept