Psychological correlates of dieting in Swedish adolescents: A cross-sectional study

Psychological factors associated with self-reported dieting behaviour and d isordered eating were studied in 10-16-year-old Swedish students. A total o f 458 girls and boys were eligible and 401 students completed the data coll ection. The study employed the Children's Eating Attitudes Test (ChEAT), th e Eating Disorders Inventory for Children (EDI-C), a questionnaire for the estimation of body size and a demographic and dieting questionnaire includi ng a question about teasing. Dieters of both sexes scored significantly hig her than, non-dieters on six of the EDI-C subscales indicting more feelings of body dissatisfaction and ineffectiveness, a lesser awareness of interoc eptive signals, less impulse regulation and more social insecurity. Dieters also reported that they had been teased because of their appearance more o ften than. did the non-dieters. The results suggest that such psychological factors may a-recede the development of clinical eating disorders. Copyrig ht (C) 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.