Dieting may cause weight gain in teenagers

MINNEAPOLIS, -- U.S. scientists say adolescents who diet to
lose weight might significantly increase their odds of
gaining weight. University of Minnesota researchers analyzed
the results of surveys conducted among teenagers from 1999
to 2004 to "understand the perplexing finding that has been
reported in several longitudinal studies, whereby dieting
predicts greater weight gain over time in adolescents."
According to information provided by more than 2,500
adolescents, dieting among girls predicted increased binge
eating and decreased breakfast consumption, with a non-
significant trend toward decreased fruit and vegetable
intake. Among boys, dieting predicted increased binge
eating, decreased physical activity and a trend toward
decreased breakfast consumption. The behaviors were also
associated with increases in body mass index, according to
the researchers. The University of Minnesota researchers,
led by Professor Dianne Neumark-Sztainer, conclude dieting
might lead to weight gain among adolescents, in part because
of "the long-term adoption of behavioral patterns that are
counterproductive to weight management." The study is
detailed in the March issue of the Journal of the American
Dietetic Association.