Eating disorder pathology in adolescents participating in a lifestyle intervention for obesity: associations with weight change, general psychopathology and health-related quality of life.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to identify the prevalence of eating disorder symptoms in obese adolescents participating in a lifestyle intervention for weight loss and to investigate possible relationships with weight change, general psychopathology, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL).


METHODS
At the beginning and after completion of a 6-month lifestyle intervention, 41 participants (20 females; age: 13.7 ± 1.4 years) reported on core symptoms of eating disorders (SCOFF), self-esteem (Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, RSES), and HRQOL (Questionnaire for Measuring Health-Related Quality of Life in Children and Adolescents, KINDL), while parents filled in a questionnaire assessing their children's internalizing and externalizing behavioral problems (Child Behavior Checklist, CBCL).


RESULTS
Compared to age-matched normative samples, patients showed increased behavior problems and an impaired HRQOL. 43% of the patients were screened positive for an eating disorder pathology, and this subgroup showed an increased psychopathological burden compared to patients that were screened negative. The lifestyle intervention resulted in a significant weight loss which was unaffected by the presence of an eating disorder pathology. The screening rate for eating disorders remained stable after the intervention.


CONCLUSIONS
The large overlap, mutual interaction, and high burden of eating and weight problems in children and adolescents underpin the need for an integrated view in both prevention and treatment approaches in pediatric obesity.
Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Medical University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany. katrin.giel@med.uni-tuebingen.de
Katrin E
KE
Giel
Stephan
S
Zipfel
Roland
R
Schweizer
Regina
R
Braun
Michael B
MB
Ranke
Gerhard
G
Binder
Stefan
S
Ehehalt
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior; D004032:Diet; D015444:Exercise; D019959:Feeding and Eating Disorders of Childhood / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D015995:Prevalence; D011599:Psychopathology; D011788:Quality of Life; D012649:Self Concept; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D015431:Weight Loss