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Changes in eating disorder symptoms with pediatric obesity treatment
L H Epstein1, R A Paluch, B E Saelens
1Department of Pediatrics, University at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Buffalo, New York 14214-3000, USA.
Objective:
To evaluate the effects of behavioral, family-based treatment on disordered eating and child behavior problems for obese 8- to 12-year-old children.
Study Design:
We examined disordered eating in children and parents using the Kids' Eating Disorder Survey (KEDS) and the Binge Eating Scale, respectively; and psychologic problems in children and their parents using the Child Behavior Checklist and Symptom Checklist-90, respectively, in 47 families who participated in a family-based obesity treatment program.
Results:
Obese children showed significant decreases (-12.5 +/- 13.5) in percent overweight, internalizing problems (-7.0 +/- 7.3), and total behavior problems (-4.8 +/- 6.6) and increases in behavioral competence (3.7 +/- 5.0) over 2 years of measurement; and their parents showed significant decreases in weight (-5.0 +/- 8.3 kg) and reductions in parental distress (-2.3 +/- 7.6) and in disturbed eating and weight-related cognition (-3.2 +/- 5.3). No significant changes were observed in total KEDS (-0.2 +/- 1.9), weight dissatisfaction (-0.3 +/- 1.7), or purging/restricting (0.2 +/- 0.6) scores. Decreases in total KEDS were related to decreases in total behavior problems and externalizing behavior problems.
Conclusions:
These results document improvements in child behavior problems and competence and no change in symptoms of disordered eating in a standardized behavioral weight control program.