Dieting and disordered eating during early and middle adolescence: Do the influences remain the same?

Abstract

This study examined whether there were differences and age-related changes in the correlates of dieting and disordered eating during early and middle adolescence. The focus was on normal developmental challenges, especially puberty and dating, as well as body ideal and shape as predictors. Girls in 6th, 8th, 9th, and 10th grade participated. Both pathological dieting (as measured by the Eating Attitudes Test) and simple dieting were examined. As hypothesized, the events of menarche and dating were related to dieting and disordered eating when girls were still adjusting to the former. Neither “event” had long-term implications. Beginning in 9th grade, broader, more abstract concepts of body image, body ideal, and current shape become important predictors. Thus, there were shifts in the nature of predictors of dieting and disordered eating. Older girls dieted more but did not have higher EAT scores than did younger ones. There were differences in the predictors of simple versus pathological dieting.