title: The four undergraduate years. Changes in weight, eating attitudes, and depression.
abstract: Weight, eating attitudes, and depression were assessed in male and female students over the 4 years of university attendance, and the relation of weight changes to eating attitudes and depression was explored using self-report measures (Restraint Scale, EDI, CES-D) collected at six time points during the university years. Results showed that, in general, weight increased between year one and year four of university attendance for both men and women, with men gaining an average of 4.1 kg and women gaining an average of 3.2 kg. Weight gain was associated with increased body dissatisfaction and negative eating attitudes among women, whereas weight loss was associated with decreased negative eating attitudes. Well-being and eating attitudes of men who gained weight did not differ, either initially or at year four, from those of men who remained weight stable, whereas men who lost weight reported higher negative eating attitudes both initially and at year four. Weight gain, therefore, appears to be associated with negative outcomes, including greater preoccupation with eating and weight, for women, but not for men, while weight loss improves the attitudes only of women.
authors.affiliation: Psychology Department, University of Toronto at Mississauga, 100 St. George Street, Sidney Smith Hall, 4th Floor, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G3, Canada. laura.girz@utoronto.ca
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Girz
authors.forename: Janet
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Polivy
authors.forename: Veronique
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Provencher
authors.forename: Maxine Gallander
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Wintre
authors.forename: Michael W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Pratt
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mark Pancer
authors.forename: Shelly
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Birnie-Lefcovitch
authors.forename: Gerald R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Adams
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001290:Attitude; D001828:Body Image; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003863:Depression; D004435:Eating / Q000523:psychology*; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012737:Sex Factors; D013334:Students; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D014495:Universities; D015430:Weight Gain; D015431:Weight Loss
keywords: Depression; Eating attitudes and behaviors; Restrained eating; University; Weight gain