Behaviors Among Overweight and Non-Overweight
Adolescents
Weight Study Aim
To compare weight-specific and global psychosocial concerns and health-compromising
behaviors among overweight and non-overweight youth across gender and
ethnicity.
A cross-sectional school-based survey of
31,122 adolescents in grades 7 to 12. Based on self-reported heights and
weights, respondents were categorized as non-overweight (body mass index
(BMI) < 85th percentile), moderately overweight (85th percentile <
BMI < 95th percentile), or severely overweight (BMI > 95th percentile).
Weight Study Results
Global psychosocial concerns, such as emotional well-being, suicidal ideation,
future job concerns, and peer concerns, did not differ greatly between
non-overweight, moderately overweight, and severely overweight adolescents.
Substance abuse behaviors were equally or less prevalent among the overweight
group. Overweight girls were significantly less likely to consume alcohol,
whereas overweight boys were at lower risk for marijuana use. In contrast,
overweight youth were more likely to perceive their health as only fair
or poor and were more likely to express weight-specific concerns and engage
in behaviors such as chronic dieting and binge eating than non-overweight
youth. Overweight American Indian girls perceived their physical health
more positively than non-overweight American Indian girls. Strong associations
were found between overweight status and chronic dieting among African
American boys and girls.
Weight Study Conclusions
Nutritional counseling and educational programs need to address the weight-specific
concerns and behaviors of overweight adolescents. However, assumptions
regarding global psychosocial concerns and health-compromising behaviors
among overweight adolescents of different genders and ethnicities should
be avoided. These broad issues need to be explored in more depth at both
the research and intervention levels.
Source: Neumark-Sztainer D, Story M, French
SA, Hannan PJ, Resnick MD, Blum RW. Division of Epidemiology, School of
Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA. 1997
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