Early dieting related to disordered eating and weight loss in a behavioral weight loss intervention

Abstract

Objective: The current study conducted a secondary analysis of data from a 12-month behavioral weight loss program to examine if there was a differential trend in percent weight loss from three months to 12 months as a function of age of first diet attempt and disordered eating behaviors. The study also examined whether the age of first diet attempt is related to the self-reported use of disordered eating behaviors. ¶ Participants and Methods: Participants were recruited from a Health Maintenance Organization to participate in a 12-month behavioral weight loss intervention. Participant’s (n=424) demographic variables, weight at baseline, three months, and 12 months, and self-report data from the Questionnaire on Eating and Weight Patterns was used to inform the analyses. The planned statistics within this proposal (i.e., a mixed-design ANCOVA) allowed for an examination of the differential trends in percent weight loss over time (i.e., at three months; 12 months) as they related to the subject characteristics (i.e., disordered eating behaviors; age of first diet attempt) that may influence the efficacy of behavioral weight loss interventions for a subset of participants. A chi square was used to examine the relationship between self-reported age of first diet attempt and disordered eating behaviors.¶ Results: There was no evidence of a differential trend of percent weight loss at three months and between three and 12 months as a function of age of first diet attempt F(4, 408) = .023, p = .896. and eating disordered behaviors F(1, 417) = .046, p = .831. There was a differential trend in percent weight loss as a function of the type of intervention the participants received. The results revealed a significant relationship between the age of first diet attempt and the use of disordered eating behaviors X2(4) = 34.13, p < .01. ¶ Conclusions: The age of first diet attempt and the use of disordered eating behaviors were not related to weight loss at three months and 12 months. Participants within the computer/intervention conditions lost significantly more weight between baseline and three months than three months to 12 months. Dieting age was related to participants using disordered eating behaviors.