A new study from the University of Minnesota (UM) reveals that the dietary habits of female teens and young adults are in crisis, and that more support and communication is required within families to curb the problem. After following the dietary habits of 2,500 teens over five years, researchers revealed that the intake of diet pills among high school-aged females had doubled from 7 to 14 percent, and reached 20 percent by ages 19 to 20. "These numbers are startling, and they tell us we need to do a better job of helping our daughters feel better about themselves and avoid unhealthy weight control behaviors," says UM's professor Dianne Neumark-Sztainer.
Researchers also found that 63 percent of teenage females engage in "unhealthy weight control behaviors," and that 22 percent of teenage females follow regimes considered "very unhealthy weight control behaviors." Behaviors in the latter group involve the use of diet pills, laxatives, vomiting, and skipping meals.
Ironically, the statistics show that such behaviors are more likely to contribute to weight gain. "We have found that teenage females who diet and use unhealthy weight control behaviors are at three times the risk of being overweight," says Neumark-Sztainer. "Teens who feel good about their bodies, eat better and have less risk of being overweight. Parents can play a key role in helping their children to build a positive body image and engage in healthy eating and physical activity behaviors," she concluded.
Source: University of Minnesota
