Eating habits, physical activity and risky behaviors of youth practicing weight control

1. Eating habits, physical activity and risky behaviors of youth practicing weight control Julie Chmielewski M.S. Candidate

2. Objective Evaluate a nationally representative sample of adolescents to determine the prevalence of weight control methods according to youth’s weight status. Confirm that overweight youth are using recommended methods of weight control according to Healthy People 2010.

3. Rationale Obesity NHANES 11%, YRBS 16% Weight control YRBS 43% of youth Health consequences of inappropriate weight control Growth retardation, acute gastric dilation, metabolic alkalosis, cardiac arrhythmia, death Risky health behaviors associated with wt. control

4. Data • National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) – Chapel Hill, N.C. • Funded by: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development & 17 other agencies • Wave II from 1995-1996 • Major topics: nutrition, daily activity, health service use, violence, sexual behavior, substance abuse, injury

5. Data source News Search Site Map Contact Us © 1998 The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent HealthLast modified 28 April 2000 http://www.cpc.unc.edu/projects/addhealth/addhealth_home.html

6. Research Question #1 What is the frequency of weight control use among adolescents who have already started puberty and grouped by underweight, average weight or overweight/obese? Are there differences in frequency of weight control use among pubescent youth by weight category, grade, race and age categories? c. What types of weight control methods are used?

7. Research Question #2 Are pubescent youth who use weight control methods at increased risk for participating in other risky health behaviors such as smoking, drug use, alcohol consumption and/ or suicide thoughts? Is there a difference in risky health behaviors among pubescent youth who use weight control as grouped by weight category?

8. Research Question #3 Do underweight, average weight and overweight pubescent youth who use weight control methods have healthy eating and exercise behaviors (as recommended by HP2010)?

9. Males Females Sexual Maturation Stage 3 YES Menarche YES Underweight Average Overweight Underweight Average Overweight Weight Control (Yes/No) Weight Control (Yes/No) Weight Control (Yes/No) Weight Control (Yes/No) Weight Control (Yes/No) Weight Control (Yes/No) Risky behavior (Yes/No) – suicide, substance use, tobacco use, drug use, dangerous weight control Types of weight control behaviors – diet, exercise, laxative, vomiting, diet pills Health-promoting Behaviors Fast Food Beverage Breakfast Food Groups Physical Activities Nutrition Variable selection (n=13, 568)

10. Definitions Weight control: includes everything reported to lose weight or to keep from gaining weight Dangerous weight control: using vomiting, diet pills, or laxatives to lose weight or keep from gaining weight

11. Definitions Weight categories: calculated from measured height and weights and BMIs compared to age- and gender-specific growth charts for underweight, average weight, at risk for overweight, overweight

12. 95th 95th 85th 85th 5th 5th 2000 NCHS Growth Chart

13. Definitions Puberty status: boys secondary sex characteristics girls - menarche

15. Analyses SPSS – Statistical Package for Social Sciences SUDAAN statistical analysis software Cross tabulations & Logistic Regression Odds ratios and confidence intervals

18. Privacy issue with weight control questions When 20% of participants reported a third person in the room - • Girls less likely to report dieting or diet pill use • Boys less likely to report diet pill use

19. Type of weight control used by adolescents * 50% girls using these methods were average weight.

21. Eating and exercise behaviors • Fruit & vegetable intake: 5+ servings • Milk intake: > 1 serving milk • Fast food intake: < 2 times per week • Breakfast intake: > 5 times a week and 3 or more food groups • Variety of food: 1 serving of each food group • Exercise: > 3 times a week for > 30 minutes

22. GIRLS: Eating and exercise behaviors associated with weight control Positive behaviors • 1.6 x more likely to eat less fast food • 1.6 x more likely to get exercise > 3x/wk for 30 min. • Less likely to use drugs Negative behaviors • 1.4 x more likely to eat an inadequate breakfast • 1.6 x more likely to skip breakfast • 1.6 x more likely to consume alcohol Not significant • Fruit and vegetable intake, dairy, food group variety * Odds ratios reported were significant.

23. BOYS: Eating and exercise behaviors associated with weight control Positive behaviors • 1.9 x more likely to eat less fast food Negative behaviors • No significant findings Not significant • Fruit and vegetable intake, dairy, food group variety, breakfast consumption, exercise

24. Likelihood of weight control (after controlling for all these variables) ns = not significant

25. Conclusions Health People 2010: Overweight adolescents should be practicing adequate exercise and eating a balanced diet. 89% overweight youth using weight control • OW boys eating less fast food • OW girls eating inadequate breakfast • 49% of those using dangerous weight control methods were OW

26. Conclusions 55% of average wt. youth using weight control • AW girls less likely to eat fast food and more likely to exercise • AW boys less likely to eat fast food • 51% of those using dangerous methods were AW 30% of underweight youth using weight control

27. Thank you Dr. Hoerr Dr. Weatherspoon Dr. Kallen My parents My lab group

28. Recent newspaper articles in the Lansing State Journal