TY - JOUR
T1 - Relation of self-weighing to future weight gain and onset of disordered eating symptoms
AU - Rohde, Paul
AU - Arigo, Danielle
AU - Shaw, Heather
AU - Stice, Eric
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (DK072932) and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (HD071900). We thank project research assistants Juliana Bednarski, Shelley Durant, Julie Pope, and Victoria Perko, as well as the undergraduates who volunteered to participate in these trials.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 American Psychological Association.
PY - 2018/8
Y1 - 2018/8
N2 - Objective: Frequent self-weighing is recommended in weight loss interventions and may prevent weight gain. However, concerns regarding the associations between self-weighing and eating disorders have been expressed and the relations between self-weighing and weight gain/eating pathology have not been examined prospectively. We tested whether (a) frequency of baseline self-weighing in college students with weight concerns predicted weight change over 2-year follow-up, (b) this relation was moderated by eating disorder symptoms, and (c) self-weighing predicted future eating disorder symptoms. Method: Data were merged from two trials evaluating obesity/eating disorder prevention programs in 762 students (Mage = 18.7; 86% women). Participants reported how often they weighed themselves at baseline; body mass index (BMI) and eating disorder symptoms were assessed over 2-year follow-up. Results: Baseline self-weighing predicted weight gain, with more frequent weighers experiencing greater gains (i.e., +0.8 of BMI) over follow-up. This relation was moderated by the frequency of binge eating but not weight/shape concerns or compensatory behaviors; the combination of more frequent self-weighing and binge eating was associated with greatest weight gain (+1.6 of BMI). More frequent weighers also reported higher onset of compensatory behaviors, relative to non-self-weighers (odds ratio = 3.90, 95% confidence interval [1.76, 8.75]). Conclusions: Young adults who weighed themselves more frequently had greater weight gain than those who self-weighed less frequently, especially those who engaged in binge eating, and were at risk for future unhealthy compensatory behaviors. Findings suggest that frequent self-weighing may have negative effects for some young adults, and that relations between self-weighing and weight control outcomes require further investigation.
AB - Objective: Frequent self-weighing is recommended in weight loss interventions and may prevent weight gain. However, concerns regarding the associations between self-weighing and eating disorders have been expressed and the relations between self-weighing and weight gain/eating pathology have not been examined prospectively. We tested whether (a) frequency of baseline self-weighing in college students with weight concerns predicted weight change over 2-year follow-up, (b) this relation was moderated by eating disorder symptoms, and (c) self-weighing predicted future eating disorder symptoms. Method: Data were merged from two trials evaluating obesity/eating disorder prevention programs in 762 students (Mage = 18.7; 86% women). Participants reported how often they weighed themselves at baseline; body mass index (BMI) and eating disorder symptoms were assessed over 2-year follow-up. Results: Baseline self-weighing predicted weight gain, with more frequent weighers experiencing greater gains (i.e., +0.8 of BMI) over follow-up. This relation was moderated by the frequency of binge eating but not weight/shape concerns or compensatory behaviors; the combination of more frequent self-weighing and binge eating was associated with greatest weight gain (+1.6 of BMI). More frequent weighers also reported higher onset of compensatory behaviors, relative to non-self-weighers (odds ratio = 3.90, 95% confidence interval [1.76, 8.75]). Conclusions: Young adults who weighed themselves more frequently had greater weight gain than those who self-weighed less frequently, especially those who engaged in binge eating, and were at risk for future unhealthy compensatory behaviors. Findings suggest that frequent self-weighing may have negative effects for some young adults, and that relations between self-weighing and weight control outcomes require further investigation.
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U2 - 10.1037/ccp0000325
DO - 10.1037/ccp0000325
M3 - Article
C2 - 30035584
AN - SCOPUS:85050456055
VL - 86
SP - 677
EP - 687
JO - Journal of Consulting Psychology
JF - Journal of Consulting Psychology
SN - 0022-006X
IS - 8
ER -