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Dieting and the family context of eating in young adolescent children
Author(s) -
Edmunds Helen,
Hill Andrew J.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
international journal of eating disorders
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.785
H-Index - 138
eISSN - 1098-108X
pISSN - 0276-3478
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1098-108x(199905)25:4<435::aid-eat8>3.0.co;2-3
Subject(s) - dieting , psychology , context (archaeology) , developmental psychology , disordered eating , adolescent development , eating disorders , clinical psychology , medicine , obesity , endocrinology , weight loss , biology , paleontology
Objectives The potential for undernutrition and links with eating disorders make early dieting an issue of concern. The aim of this research was to examine the eating patterns, social circumstances of eating, and parental use of food in young adolescent dieters. Methods Four hundred and two 12‐year‐old children (200 girls, 202 boys) completed assessments of dieting, eating patterns, food‐related nurturance, and parental control of eating, together with body weight, height, and self‐perception. Results Current dieting (20% girls, 8% boys) was strongly associated with fasting and dietary restraint. Highly restrained children ate fewer meals and snacks and reported significantly greater parental control of their eating. However, they did not differ in the social context of eating or in food‐related nurturance. Dieting status was a stronger determinant than body weight of all these differences. Conclusions These findings suggest that 12‐year‐old dieters are quite serious in their nutritional intentions. They also confirm an active role for parents in their children's dieting. Both children and their parents are in need of age and gender‐specific advice concerning eating and weight. © 1999 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 25: 435–440, 1999.