What are the eating cognitions of children whose chronic diseases do and do not require attention to diet?

Nutrition therapy is essential to the management of several chronic disease s affecting adolescents. Unfortunately, dietary impositions may evoke patho logical eating-related cognitions. This pilot study examined eating- and we ight-related cognitions of 55 adolescents attending a summer camp for young sters with a heterogeneous variety of chronic diseases. Campers completed the Eating Cognitions Questionnaire and the Situational O bstacles to Dietary Adherence questionnaire. Campers whose medical regimens included special dietary recommendations (n = 24) were expected to have mo re cognitions associated with eating disorders than those without dietary r estrictions (n = 31). Girls were significantly more concerned than boys about weight and restrict ive dietary rules. Cognitions of youngsters with special dietary recommenda tions showed greater flexibility, less eating pathology and less weight con cern than campers without recommended diets. Contrary to previous reports, dietary restrictions were associated with more appropriate eating cognition s, suggesting that adolescents with chronic illnesses requiring nutrition t herapy may not necessarily bear greater risk of eating disorders. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.