The longitudinal study, conducted by researchers from the University of Minnesota, examined eating patterns and weight changes of more than 2,000 adolescents during a five-year period. Subjects were asked to complete two questionnaires - one in 1999 and another in 2004 - to determine if teens who first reported low body satisfaction were more likely to develop obesity or eating disorders.

Eating habits are formed in childhood and adolescence and can be difficult to change in later life. Obesity and eating disorders can contribute to other medical disorders, including diabetes, heart disease and digestive disorders.

Study results indicated that adolescent girls who initially reported low body satisfaction were less likely to eat fruits and vegetables and more likely to take diet pills, binge eat, induce vomiting and refrain from exercising than those who reported high body satisfaction. Teenage boys with poor body images were also at increased risk for these behaviors, as well as for smoking. The teenage subjects with more positive body images were more likely to adhere to a healthy diet and exercise regimen.

"This study shows that teens who have negative feelings about their bodies don't turn to healthy weight management. Instead they use weight control behaviors that put them at higher risk for obesity and poor health down the road. With this in mind, interventions with teens should strive to boost self-confidence so they will take care of themselves in the right way," lead author Dr. Dianne Neumark-Sztainer, professor of epidemiology at U of M, said in a press release.

The research was part of Project EAT: Eating Among Teens, which was designed to evaluate the factors that influence adolescent eating habits, to determine if teens are adhering to national dietary recommendations, and to explore diet and exercise patterns among this population.

The study appears in the August 2006 issue of the Journal of Adolescent Health.

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