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. 2018 Aug;33(8):1337-1343.
doi: 10.1007/s11606-018-4465-z. Epub 2018 Jun 11.

Prevalence and Correlates of Disordered Eating Behaviors Among Young Adults with Overweight or Obesity

Jason M Nagata  1 , Andrea K Garber  2 , Jennifer L Tabler  3 , Stuart B Murray  4 , Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo  5   6
Affiliations

Prevalence and Correlates of Disordered Eating Behaviors Among Young Adults with Overweight or Obesity

Jason M Nagata et al. J Gen Intern Med. 2018 Aug.

Abstract

Background: Clinical and community samples indicate that eating disorders (EDs) and disordered eating behaviors (DEBs) may co-occur among adolescents and young adults at a weight status classified as overweight or obese.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of EDs and DEBs among young adults at a weight status classified as overweight or obese using a nationally representative sample and to characterize differences in prevalence by sex, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status.

Design: Cross-sectional nationally representative data collected from Wave III of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health).

Participants: Young adults ages 18-24 years old.

Main measures: ED diagnosis and DEBs (self-reported binge eating or unhealthy weight control behaviors including vomiting, fasting/skipping meals, or laxative/diuretic use to lose weight). Covariates: age, sex, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, weight status, and education.

Key results: Of the 14,322 young adults in the sample, 48.6% were at a weight status classified as overweight or obese. Compared to young adults at a weight status classified as underweight or normal weight, those at a weight status classified as overweight or obese reported a higher rate of DEBs (29.3 vs 15.8% in females, 15.4 vs 7.5% in males). Logistic regression analyses demonstrated that odds of engaging in DEBs were 2.32 (95% confidence interval 2.05-2.61) times higher for females compared to males; 1.66 (1.23-2.24) times higher for Asian/Pacific Islander compared to White; 1.62 (1.16-2.26) times higher for homosexual or bisexual compared to heterosexual; 1.26 (1.09-1.44) times higher for high school or less versus more than high school education; and 2.45 (2.16-2.79) times higher for obesity compared to normal weight, adjusting for all covariates.

Conclusions: The high prevalence of DEBs particularly in young adults at a weight status classified as overweight or obese underscores the need for screening, referrals, and tailored interventions for DEBs in this population.

Keywords: anorexia nervosa; binge eating; bulimia nervosa; eating disorders; obesity; weight control behaviors; young adult.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they do not have a conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Prevalence of disordered eating behaviors among young adults in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, by weight status.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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