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Eating-Disordered Behaviors, Body Fat, and Psychopathology in Overweight and Normal-Weight Children.

  • Marian Tanofsky-Kraff
    ,
  • Denise E. Wilfley
    ,
  • Christina M. Morgan
    ,
  • Susan Z. Yanovski
    ,
  • Cheri Marmarosh
    ,
  • Jack A. Yanovski
  • Divine Mercy University
    ,
  • Psychology Department, The Catholic University of America
    ,
  • Unit on Growth and Obesity, Developmental Endocrinology Branch, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and Catholic University of America.
    ,
  • Unit on Growth and Obesity, Developmental Endocrinology Branch, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Brazil.
    ,
  • Unit on Growth and Obesity, Developmental Endocrinology Branch, NICHD, and Division of Digestive Diseases and Nutrition, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
    ,
  • Unit on Growth and Obesity, Developmental Endocrinology Branch, NICHD, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and United States Public Health Service.
Research Output: Contribution to journal Article Peer-review

Publication Information

Output type

Research Output: Contribution to journal Article Peer-review

Original language

English

Pages from-to (Number of pages)

Pages 53-61 (9 pages)

Journal (Volume, Issue Number)

Journal of Consulting & Clinical Psychology (Volume 72, Issue 1)

Publication milestones

  • Published - 01/02/2004

Publication status

Published - 01/02/2004

ISSN

0022-006X

Abstract

This study examined eating-disordered pathology in relation to psychopathology and adiposity in 162 non-treatment-seeking overweight (OW) and normal weight (NW) children, ages 6-13 years. Participants experienced objective or subjective binge eating (S/OBE; loss-of-control eating), objective over- eating (OO), or no episodes (NE). OW children experienced significantly higher eating-disordered cognitions and behaviors than NW children and more behavior problems than NW children: 9.3% endorsed S/OBEs, 20.4% reported OOs, and 70.4% reported NEs. OW children reported S/OBEs more frequently than did NW children (p = .01), but similar percentages endorsed OOs. SIOBE children experienced greater eating-disordered cognitions (ps from < .05 to < .01) and had higher body fat (p < .05) than OOs or NEs. OOs are common in childhood, but S/OBEs are more prevalent in OW children and associated with increased adiposity and eating-disordered cognitions.

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