Study Links Girls' Extreme Dieting Habits and Depression to Obesity
Posted on: Thursday, 21 April 2005, 12:00 CDT
DALLAS -- Adolescent girls who are depressed or try radical dieting like vomiting are more likely to become obese than those who eat high-fat foods or sometimes gorge themselves, a four-year study suggests.
Researchers said harsh weight-control methods -- including skipping meals and using laxatives -- can promote weight gain more than weight loss.
"A lot of these behaviors that adolescent girls are turning to are not effective in controlling obesity," said Eric Stice, research professor of psychology at the University of Texas at Austin.
One expert not involved in the study said the results were not surprising.
"We know that rigid dieting actually leads to one overeating or a change in metabolism," said Lisa Dorfman, a dietitian and psychotherapist who is a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. "Your body slows down because it doesn't know when the next normal meal will come. Having a piece of cake is healthier than dieting for a week and having a (whole) cake."
The study, which looked at 496 Austin-area girls ages 11 to 15, was published in the April issue of the American Psychological Association's Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology.
The study found that another predictor of obesity was whether the girls' parents were obese -- a connection that Stice said can be explained not only by genetics, but by environmental factors such as what's in the refrigerator.
As for the depression connection, while people who are depressed may overeat for comfort or distraction, the study said that it is also possible that a lack of the happy chemical serotonin -- a condition often seen in depression -- also leads people to eat lots of carbohydrate-rich foods.
Candace Ayars of the Center for Health Research and Rural Advocacy at Geisinger Health Systems in Danville, Pa., said that it is important to remember that there are many other factors that could also lead to obesity.
"I wouldn't want people to think if they can't detect depression or eating disorders that they wouldn't become obese," Ayars said.
Source: Daily Breeze
Related Articles
- Reportlinker Adds Obesity, Weight Loss and Diet Management Markets (Pharmaceutical, Surgical and Dietary Approaches)
- Obesity, depression often occur together
- Genaera Corporation Presents Phase 1 Data for Trodusquemine (MSI-1436) at the North American Association for the Study of Obesity Annual Meeting
- VIVUS Announces the Presentation of Phase 2 Data for Qnexa(TM) at the North American Association for the Study of Obesity (NAASO) 2006 Annual Scientific Meeting
- 2nd Annual Diet Convention and Conference for the Weight Loss and Diet Industry Held on October 19-20, 2006 in Orlando, Florida
- Study Shows Why Weight Game is Inevitable
- Health Management Resources Study Shows Surprising 25 Lb. Weight Loss With Diet Delivered Entirely Over the Phone
- Sound Health Solutions to Present Results of Comprehensive Obesity Treatment Program at North American Association for the Study of Obesity Annual Meeting
- Despite Conflicting Studies about Obesity, Most Americans Think the Problem Remains Serious
- Obesity Boosts Drug Spending; Mayo Clinic Study Says Extra Weight Increases Prescription Tab for Men
 |
 |
User Comments (0)
RSS Feeds