Dieting and disordered eating correlates of weight fluctuation in normal and obese adults

Weight dissatisfaction, dieting, and weight change, assessed by question-naires, were studied in 471 subjects stratified by gender, age (20-60+ years) and weight (normal/obese), participating in the RENO Diet Heart Study. Female and obese subjects had more weight dissatisfaction, dieting, and binges and were more overweight in adolescence. Females andmales were similar with regard to reported childhood obesity, but a trend toward greater obesity for the age period of 11-13 years, in females, became significant for the 14-17 year age period. Total lifetime pounds lost was significantly associated with factors of dissatisfaction/dieting, pre-adult overweight and binge eating after adjustment for gender, body mass index, and age. Typical annual weight loss, which does not represent the most extreme weight changes, was only associated with being younger, obese, and the binge-eating factor. Although typical annual and lifetime weight changes were significantly correlated, the largest lifetime weight losses were not the result of an accumulation of many small losses but occurred almost only in subjects who also had one or more large single losses. Age comparisons demonstrated less major weight dissatisfaction and less disordered eating in the 60+ age group than the 20-year-old age group. Annual and total lifetime pounds lost were lower in the older age groups, implying diminished weight fluctuation and dieting. Also, older subjects reported less overweight in childhood and adolescence. We suggest that in both men and women, weight change is affected similarly by obesity, age, dissatisfaction/dieting, binge eating and pre-adult overweight although the problem is more severe in women. © 1994 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

Duke Scholars

Author Kelly D. Brownell Sanford School of Public Policy