title: Loss of control eating in African-American and Caucasian youth.
abstract: Loss of control (LOC) eating, a disinhibited eating behavior shown to predict excessive weight gain in youth, has been reported by African-American children and adolescents. Yet, little is known about how LOC-eating manifests in this population. To investigate potential racial differences in LOC-eating, the Eating Disorder Examination was administered to 185 non-Hispanic African-American and Caucasian youth ages 8-17 y. Objective eating was assessed at two test meals during which youth ate ad libitum from a multi-item lunchtime food array. African-American and Caucasian youth reported a similar prevalence of LOC episodes (24.2% vs. 28.9%, p=.75). Yet, accounting for sex, age, fat-free mass, percent fat mass, height, and socioeconomic status, African-Americans consumed more total energy at both laboratory meals (1608±57 kcal vs. 1362±44 kcal; p<.001). Furthermore, African-American youth reporting LOC consumed the most total energy across both meals (1855±104 kcal) compared to African-Americans without LOC (1524±60 kcal), Caucasians with LOC (1278±68 kcal), and Caucasians without LOC (1399±46 kcal; p<.001). Future research is required to examine whether LOC-eating contributes to the high rates of obesity in African-American youth.
authors.affiliation: Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS), Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology, Bethesda, MD, 20814, USA.
authors.forename: Omni L
authors.initials: OL
authors.lastname: Cassidy
authors.forename: Brittany
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Matheson
authors.forename: Robyn
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Osborn
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vannucci
authors.forename: Merel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kozlosky
authors.forename: Lauren B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Shomaker
authors.forename: Susan Z
authors.initials: SZ
authors.lastname: Yanovski
authors.forename: Marian
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tanofsky-Kraff
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology*; D002032:Bulimia / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D002149:Energy Intake; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008297:Male; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology*