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Regular self-weighing may decrease body satisfaction, self esteem

Teens and young adults, especially females, who weighed themselves regularly had significantly higher odds of depression and weight concern, as well as decreased body satisfaction and self-esteem, according to recently published data.

“Females who strongly agreed they self-weighed reported engaging in extremely dangerous weight-control behaviors at a rate of 80%. Adolescent obesity is a public health concern, but body dissatisfaction and weight concerns are predictors of eating disorders. This makes it critical that obesity-prevention programs avoid exacerbating these predictors by understanding how behaviors such as self-weighing affect teens,” Carly R. Pacanowski, PhD, RD, department of epidemiology and community health, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, said in a press release. 

Pacanowski and colleagues conducted Project EAT, a cross-sectional study of 1,868 adolescents and young adults, to assess the impact of self-weighing on changes in weight status, psychological variables and behavioral outcomes, at three time points over 10 years.

Results demonstrated that females who increased the regularity of self-weighing were less satisfied with their body and had decreased self-esteem, along with increased concerns regarding their weight, according to the researchers.

At all three time points, the majority of females (80.9%, 81.3% and 74.8%) who reported weighing themselves more frequency reported engaging in at least one less extreme unhealthy weight control behavior, including fasting, very little food consumption, food substitutions, skipping meals or smoking more cigarettes. At the same time points, 20.8%, 38.7% and 39.1% of females who weighed themselves often reported engaging in at least one extreme unhealthy weight control behavior, such as the use of laxatives, pills, diuretics or vomiting.

Significant, positive correlations between weight concerns and regular self-weighing were seen in both sexes.

 “Clinicians should ask adolescent patients about self-weighing at office visits to determine any benefits or negative outcomes. Noting changes in this behavior over time can be helpful for investigating other, more concerning changes in well-being among young adults,” Pacanowski said in the press release. – by Casey Hower

Disclosures: Healio.com/Family Medicine was unable to confirm relevant financial disclosures at the time of publication.