Weight status, risk eating behaviors and body dissatisfaction in adolescent and young women

Estatus de peso, conductas alimentarias de riesgo e insatisfacción corporal en mujeres adolescentes y jóvenes Conductas alimentarias de riesgo en adolescentes y jóvenes

Aim: to assess the association between risk eating behaviors, weight status and body dissatisfaction in adolescents and young women. Methods and Materials: the sample comprised 487 Mexican students’ women at public high school (50.3%; Age: mean = 16.5, standard deviation = 1.0 years) and public university (49.7%; Age: mean = 19.7, standard deviation = 1.4 years) selected according to a non-probabilistic method. Regarding the age two groups were formed (adolescents and young). All the participants completed identification card including weight and height as well as two test validated for Mexican population, Eating Attitude Test and Body Image Questionnaire. Results: between adolescents and young women 11.4 and 6.6% showed risk eating behaviors, respectively being the most frequent restrictive diet, avoiding sugar foods and counting calories. A direct relation between increasing body mass index and presence of risk eating behaviors was found for young women but not for adolescents. All the participants with overweight showed five more risk to develop risk eating behaviors while 18.8% of adolescents and 19.8% of young women showed body dissatisfaction. Finally, for both age groups risk eating behaviors were associated with body dissatisfaction except for vomiting. Conclusions: it is necessary preventive efforts in this population taking into account the weight status and the presence of body dissatisfaction