| Title | Drive for thinness in adolescents predicts greater adult BMI in the Growth and Health Study cohort over 20 years. |
| Publication Type | Journal Article |
| Year of Publication | 2021 |
| Authors | Laraia, BA, Leung, CW, A Tomiyama, J, Ritchie, LD, Crawford, PB, Epel, ES |
| Journal | Obesity (Silver Spring) |
| Volume | 29 |
| Issue | 12 |
| Pagination | 2126-2133 |
| Date Published | 2021 Dec |
| ISSN | 1930-739X |
| Keywords | Adolescent, Adult, Body Image, Body Mass Index, Child, Cohort Studies, Drive, Feeding and Eating Disorders, Female, Humans, Prospective Studies, Thinness |
| Abstract | OBJECTIVE: In youth, a preoccupation with weight and the desire to be thinner, or drive for thinness, might persist into adulthood and predict reward-based compulsive eating and greater weight status. METHODS: A total of 623 women were enrolled from a prospective cohort study starting at 10 years old and assessed up to 20 years later. Drive for thinness was measured five times during adolescence. In adulthood (mean age = 39.5), drive for thinness, reward-based eating drive, and BMI were measured. RESULTS: Structural equation modeling found cumulative adolescent drive for thinness predicted higher scores for both adult drive for thinness and reward-based eating drive. Youth drive for thinness was not directly associated with adult BMI but rather indirectly through adult drive for thinness. Reward-based eating drive was not associated with adult BMI. CONCLUSIONS: Drive for thinness during the critical developmental years may exert long-term effects on adulthood eating behaviors tied to greater weight gain, potentially reflecting an important early target of intervention. |
| DOI | 10.1002/oby.23285 |
| Alternate Journal | Obesity (Silver Spring) |
| PubMed ID | 34813172 |
| Grant List | R56HL141878 / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States R01AG059677 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States R56AG059677 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States |
