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Weight discrimination and eating disorder symptoms in early adolescence: a prospective cohort study
This research explores the prospective association between weight discrimination and eating disorder (ED) symptoms in early adolescents, utilizing data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study, involving 9,079 participants. The study measured weight discrimination through the Perceived Discrimination Scale and assessed ED symptoms via the Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia (KSADS-5). Findings indicate that weight discrimination is significantly associated with increased odds of various ED symptoms one year later. Specifically, adolescents experiencing weight discrimination reported higher odds of worrying about weight gain (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 2.12, 95% CI 1.08–4.14, p = 0.028), linking self-worth to weight (aOR 3.75, 95% CI 2.54–5.55, p < 0.001), engaging in inappropriate compensatory behaviors (aOR 2.75, 95% CI 2.02–3.74, p < 0.001), exhibiting binge eating symptoms (aOR 1.72, 95% CI 1.10–2.68, p = 0.018), and experiencing distress related to binge eating (aOR 2.26, 95% CI 1.33–3.85, p = 0.002). Additionally, weight discrimination correlated with a greater number of overall ED symptoms (aOR 2.21, 95% CI 1.61–3.03, p < 0.001). The study found significant interactions based on BMI percentile, indicating that adolescents with BMI in the 5th to < 85th percentile were more adversely affected by weight discrimination, showing higher odds of binge eating symptoms (aOR 3.32, 95% CI 1.27–8.68, p = 0.015) and binge eating distress (aOR 5.11, 95% CI 2.10–12.44, p < 0.001). These results underscore the need for targeted interventions addressing weight stigma to mitigate its impact on ED symptoms across different weight categories in adolescents. [NPID: discrimination, eating disorder, weight gain, adolescents]
Year: 2025
