Consumer Affair
Reading diet articles linked with unhealthy dieting
By Ben Wasserman - foodconsumer.org
Jan 2, 2007 - 1:48:33 PM

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Acquiring too much knowledge does not always yield good consequences if you do not know how to use it.  When it comes to dieting and weight loss, reading too many dieting articles in magazines could lead to risky dieting practices later.

A new study led by Patricia van den Berg, PhD. from University of Minnesota and colleagues found teenage girls who often read magazine articles about dieting and weight loss were three time more likely to practice extreme dieting and weight loss measures such as vomiting and using laxatives compared with those who never read.

The study per se does not mean reading the magazine articles definitively caused the unhealthy or extreme dietary behaviors, but there is a possibility that the teen girls had been influenced by the measures introduced in the articles.

Experts say parents might want to advise their children not to read articles that promote thinness and not to pursue a body image that is possessed by only a few people. And teens should not follow any dieting measure without the potential risk.

The study, which appears in Pediatrics' January edition, started with 2,516 teens aged 13 to 15 in Minnesota with nearly half teenage girls.   At the beginning of the study, girls and boys were surveyed about dieting, body image and self-esteem.

The participants were questioned how often they read article on dieting and or weight loss.   Their height and weight were also measured.

Five years later, the researchers repeated the survey.

At the end of the study, the researchers found that girls who reported often reading magazine articles on dieting and weight loss five years ago were most likely to report engaging in unhealthy or extreme dieting practices compared with those who did not read at all.

Among these girls who read a lot, the risk of practicing unhealthy dieting measures including fasting, skipping meals, and smoking was twice higher than that found among those who did not.

Among the same girls, the rate of practicing extreme weight-control measures including vomiting and using laxatives was three times higher than that found among those who did not read.

No association between dieting articles and unhealthy or extreme dieting behaviors was found in the teen boys though.

A scientist associated with foodconsumer.org suggests that people should focus on overall health, not on weight alone.  Many dieting and weight loss measures are unhealthy from the viewpoint of nutrition.

He also suggests that people should know what they learn from news media.   It is a risk to practice something without knowing the consequences.  Never let a three-year-old hold a knife in his hands.