[Survey of disordered eating and behaviour in children and adolescents]

To study in children and adolescents associations between body mass index and psychosocial problems including those typical for eating disorders.

1057 pupils aged 10 to 17 years completed the Youth Self-Report (YSR) and the Eating Disorder Inventory for children (EDI-C). Socio-demographic data and information about height and weight were also gathered.

Underweight girls reported fewer problems than those with normal weight. Overweight girls had higher scores than normal weight girls on six out of eleven EDI-C-scales (drive for thinness, bulimia, body dissatisfaction, ineffectiveness, interpersonal distrust, interoceptive awareness) as well as on the YSR-scales Anxious/depressed and Social problems. Similarly, overweight boys presented more social problems then those of normal weight and higher scores on the same EDI-C-scales as overweight girls with the exception of interpersonal distrust. Underweight boys differed from normal weight boys on the YSR in reporting more somatic complaints, but on none of the EDI-C scales.

Overweight children and adolescents seem to suffer from psychosocial problems including those typical for eating disorders. Therefore, they require intervention not only for the prevention of medical consequences of overweight and obesity. In the treatment of overweight children and adolescents eating disorder symptoms need to be taken into account.