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Change in eating disorder symptoms following pediatric obesity treatment
Author(s) -
Eichen Dawn M.,
Strong David R.,
Rhee Kyung E.,
Rock Cheryl L.,
Crow Scott J.,
Epstein Leonard H.,
Wilfley Denise E.,
Boutelle Kerri N.
Publication year - 2019
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/eat.23015
Subject(s) - psychosocial , overweight , obesity , medicine , randomized controlled trial , eating disorders , childhood obesity , disordered eating , weight loss , psychiatry , pediatrics , clinical psychology , psychology
Objective The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether children with overweight or obesity participating in an evidence‐based treatment, family‐based behavioral treatment (FBT) for obesity, or a parent‐only variant of FBT (PBT), experience an increase of eating disorder (ED) symptoms during and following treatment. Method Children ( N = 150) participating in a randomized controlled trial of FBT or PBT completed measures of EDs attitudes and behaviors at baseline, following 6‐months of treatment, 6 months, and 18 months after treatment. Results Linear‐mixed effects models suggest that ED attitudes did not significantly increase. Rather, significant decreases of shape, weight, and eating concerns were shown following treatment. Loss of control over eating significantly decreased over treatment and follow‐up. No participant endorsed purging at any time point. Discussion Results confirm the hypothesis that ED symptoms do not increase after participating in FBT or a FBT‐based treatment. These findings should help assuage fears of parents that enrolling their child will exacerbate ED symptoms and aid children to access evidence‐based treatments that may help reduce significant physical and psychosocial complications of childhood obesity.