Dieting as a case of behavioural decision making. Does self-control matter?

To be a successful dieter, one has to be able to consistently resist immediate temptations in order to achieve the bigger, but delayed rewards of weight loss, increased attractiveness and better health. These long-term benefits are by no means guaranteed as the delayed rewards are more uncertain than the immediate rewards. Several researchers have suggested that the population of restrained eaters consists of two populations: unsuccessful dieters who score high on restraint and high on disinhibition, and successful dieters who score high on restraint but low on disinhibition. The present study examines to what extent restrained eating in combination with individual differences in self-control (akin to low disinhibition) is related to successful decision making on a task that mimics the uncertainty of dieting (measured with the Iowa Gambling Task). As expected, self-control moderated the association between restraint and decision making: restrained eating was related to worse decision making when self-control was low, but to better decision making when self-control was high. This suggest that those high in restraint and high in self-control may be more successful in their dieting attempts because they are generally better at inhibiting short-term rewards in order to gain better long-term outcomes.     

Adolescent depressive symptoms and smoking behavior: The gender-specific role of weight concern and dieting

Objective

Increased weight concern and dieting are associated with both depression and smoking among adolescents, particularly girls. This cross-sectional study examined the gender-specific role of weight concerns and dieting on the adolescent depression-smoking association.

Methods

Participants were 2051 adolescents (1056 boys and 995 girls) from seven high schools in the Netherlands who filled out questionnaires on smoking, depression, and weight constructs and of whom weight and height were measured.

Results

Logistic regression analyses showed that for girls, but not for boys, the depression-smoking association disappeared after controlling for weight concerns and dieting.

Conclusion

Our findings indicate that weight concerns and dieting are important factors to consider in the depression-smoking initiation relation for girls, but not for boys. This suggests that smoking prevention programs for depressed girls might be enhanced by challenging the idea of smoking as a diet strategy and incorporating a focus on healthy weight regulation. However, before setting up a prevention trial, future prospective studies should first examine why and how weight concerns and dieting are important factors in the depression-smoking initiation relation among girls, also in conjunction with other established risk factors such as parental and peer smoking.     

Ethnic/racial differences in weight-related concerns and behaviors among adolescent girls and boys: findings from Project EAT

OBJECTIVE: To compare weight-related concerns and behaviors across ethnicity/race among a population-based sample of adolescent boys and girls. METHODS: The study population included 4746 adolescents from urban public schools in the state of Minnesota who completed surveys and anthropometric measurements as part of Project EAT (Eating Among Teens), a population-based study focusing on eating patterns and weight concerns among teenagers. Main outcome measures included measured body mass index (BMI), weight-related concerns (perceived weight status, weight disparity, body satisfaction and attitudes about weight control) and weight-related behaviors (general/specific weight control behaviors and binge eating). RESULTS: In comparison to White girls, African American girls tended to report fewer weight-related concerns/behaviors, while Hispanic, Asian American and Native American girls tended to report similar or more concerns/behaviors. Among boys, weight-related concerns/behaviors were equally or more prevalent among all non-Whites than among Whites. In particular, African American and Asian American boys were at greater risk for potentially harmful weight-related concerns/behaviors than White boys. CONCLUSIONS: Weight-related concerns and behaviors are prevalent among adolescents, regardless of their ethnic/racial background, indicating a need for prevention and treatment efforts that reach adolescents of different ethnic backgrounds. However, ethnic differences demonstrate a need for ensuring that the specific needs of different groups are addressed in the development of such interventions.     

‘I want to lose weight’: Early risk for disordered eating?

The present study examined the risk of disordered eating and its relation to attempts to lose weight by surveying a Maritime Canadian sample of 247 girls and boys in grades 6, 7 and 8. Current attempts to lose weight were highest in grade 8 girls (41% of girls and 9% of boys) compared with grade 6 (14% of girls and 24% of boys) and grade 7 (21% of girls and 13% of boys) children. Of those trying to lose weight, 71.4% were in the average range for weight and height, 12.2% were overweight and 16.3% were obese. The Children’s version of the Eating Attitudes Test (ChEAT) was used to assess eating attitudes and behaviours, and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale was used as a measure of self-esteem. The results showed that 8.5% of the children fell in the high-risk group for disordered eating (ChEAT score 20 or higher). Those in the high-risk group were significantly more likely to fear being overweight (90%), to have tried to lose weight in the past (81%), to be currently trying to lose weight (76%), and to have engaged in binge eating (38%) and self-induced vomiting (24%). The best predictor of membership in the high-risk group for girls was current attempts at weight loss and having lower self-esteem. Only two boys fell in the high-risk group. Body mass index and current weight category (underweight, average, overweight and obese) could not explain the differences between the low- and high-risk groups. Knowing that a child is trying to lose weight can aid in identifying youth at risk for disordered eating, and can provide an opportunity for preventive education.     

High school students'' attitudes and knowledge of food consumption and body image: implications for school based education

One-hundred-and-forty-one high school students from Holon between the ages of 14 and 18 years participated in the study. The aims of the study were to investigate their nutritional habits, ascertain their body image, measure their knowledge concerning nutrition and finally to determine their attitudes regarding overweight, obese people and dieting. The study is a cross-sectional survey and the students involved completed a self administered questionnaire anonymously at school. The response rate was 97%. Forty-four percent of the total study population expressed a subjective feeling of being obese while, in truth, only 10% of them were actually overweight, and 48% among all participants practised weight reduction diets (girls three times more than boys). In addition to that another 53% of the pupils expressed the desire to be thinner than they were (girls four times more than boys). Nine percent of the study group experienced self-induced anorectic episodes at sometime during the past few years. It was observed that the study group's knowledge concerning food composition and nutrition remains insufficient. As far as their attitude concerning obesity, it was observed that 31% of the students regarded obesity as a handicap. Students who were athletics demonstrated more severe and stricter attitudes towards nutrition and obesity. Most of the information concerning nutrition was obtained through the media. School education about food and nutrition only amounted to 28.3% of the total. Seventy-nine percent of the students believe that nutrition should be integrated into their curriculum. Forty-four percent of the students feel themselves to be overweight, and 53.4% want to be thinner. Half of the students were on various diets. The students' knowledge of food and nutrition, the risk of obesity and the danger of excessive diets was insufficient. Most students presented negative attitudes towards obesity and overweight people. The media was the principal source of information on all these areas. Our main conclusion is that an educational nutrition program should be given to pupils in school by physicians and dietitians during all the years of public school attendance. The instructions of these programs should emphasize the importance of balanced nutritional regimes, as well as the risk and consequences of extreme dieting.     

Food cravings mediate the relationship between rigid, but not flexible control of eating behavior and dieting success

Both food cravings and rigid dietary control strategies have been implicated in low dieting success while flexible control often is associated with successful weight loss. An online survey was conducted (N = 616) to test the mediational role of food cravings between dietary control strategies and self-perceived dieting success. Food cravings fully mediated the inverse relationship between rigid control and dieting success. Contrarily, flexible control predicted dieting success independently of food cravings, which were negatively associated with dieting success. Differential mechanisms underlie the relationship between rigid and flexible control of eating behavior and dieting success.     

Eating styles, self-control and obesity indicators. The moderating role of obesity status and dieting history on restrained eating

We examined whether obesity status and dieting history affected the associations of eating styles with measured obesity indicators and self-control among Finnish men (n = 2325) and women (n = 2699) aged 25–75 years. Uncontrolled and emotional eating were positively associated with obesity and reversely with self-control. Among obese subjects and current/past dieters, higher restrained eating was related to lower adiposity, uncontrolled and emotional eating, and higher self-control while these associations were opposite among normal weight subjects and never dieters. These results suggest that restrained eating may be related to better weight control among those who need and/or are motivated to lose weight while among others it may indicate problems with eating.     

Secular trends in weight status and weight-related attitudes and behaviors in adolescents from 1999 to 2010

Objective

To examine secular trends from 1999 to 2010 in weight status and weight-related attitudes and behaviors among adolescents.

Methods

A repeated cross-sectional design was used. Participants were from Minneapolis/St. Paul middle schools and high schools and included 3072 adolescents in 1999 (mean age14.6 ± 1.8) and 2793 adolescents in 2010 (mean age14.4 ± 2.0). Trends in weight-related variables were examined using inverse probability weighting to control for changes in socio-demographics over time.

Results

The prevalence of obesity among boys increased by 7.8% from 1999 to 2010, with large ethnic/racial disparities. In black boys the prevalence of obesity increased from 14.4% to 21.5% and among Hispanic boys, obesity prevalence increased from 19.7% to 33.6%. Trends were more positive among girls: weight status did not significantly increase, perceptions of overweight status were more accurate, the use of healthy weight control behaviors remained high, dieting decreased by 6.7%, unhealthy weight control behaviors decreased by 8.2% and extreme weight control behaviors decreased by 4.5%.

Conclusions

Trends indicate a need to intensify efforts to prevent obesity and other weight-related problems, particularly for boys from ethnic/racial minorities. The decreases in unhealthy weight control behaviors among girls are encouraging.     

To eat or not to eat red meat. A closer look at the relationship between restrained eating and vegetarianism in college females

Previous research has suggested that vegetarianism may serve as a mask for restrained eating. The purpose of this study was to compare the dietary habits and lifestyle behaviors of vegetarians (n = 55), pesco-vegetarians (n = 28), semi-vegetarians (n = 29), and flexitarians (n = 37), to omnivores (n = 91), who do not restrict animal products from their diets. A convenience sample of college-age females completed questionnaires about their eating habits, food choice motivations, and personality characteristics. Results indicated that while vegetarians and pesco-vegetarians were more open to new experiences and less food neophobic, they were not more restrained than omnivores. Rather semi-vegetarians; those who restricted only red meat from their diet, and flexitarians; those who occasionally eat red meat, were significantly more restrained than omnivores. Whereas food choices of semi-vegetarians and flexitarians were motivated by weight control, vegetarians and pesco-vegetarians’ food choices were motivated by ethical concerns. By focusing specifically on semi-vegetarian and flexitarian subgroups, more effective approaches can be developed to ensure that their concerns about weight loss do not lead to unhealthful or disordered eating patterns.     

Adolescent Dieting: Healthy Weight Control or Borderline Eating Disorder?

Dieting in adolescent girls is ubiquitous but its health significance is uncertain. On the one hand it might be seen as promoting healthy weight control and on the other it might be considered as a risk, factor for eating disorders. Dieting levels were systematically assessed in a representative group of 252? Australian teenagers and classified using item response theory. In this group, 38% of girls and 12 % of boys we re categorised as intermediate dieters; 7% of girls and 1% of boys fell into a group of extreme dieters. Body mass carried a strong post the association with intermediate dieting. Most female dieters, nevertheless, fell within a normal weight range. Psychiatric morbidity was the clearest factor associated with extreme dieting and 62 % of extreme dieters reported high levels of depression and anxiety. Extreme dieting might reasonably be viewed as lying on a spectrum with clinical eating disorders. Most dieting is unjustified on the grounds of appropriate weight control and appears to reflect a widespread striving of teenage girls towards body shapes at the lower end of age-adjusted norms.