Overweight, weight concerns, and bulimic behaviors among girls and boys

Objective: To assess the prevalence rates and correlates of overweight, concern with weight. and bulimic behaviors. Method: A survey was completed by a population-based sample of 16,114 boys and girls aged 9 to 14 yeats. Results: Although fewer girls (19%) than boys (26%) were overweight, more girls (25% versus 22%) perceived themselves as overweight (p <.001). The proportion of girls reporting trying to lose weight increased with age (p <.001). The prevalence of binge eating at least monthly increased with age among the girls, but remained stable among the boys. The prevalence of purging was low (less than or equal to 1%) and comparable between genders until age 13. among the 13- and 14-year-olds, girls were significantly more likely than boys to report using laxatives or vomiting to control weight (p less than or equal to.001). Purging was independently positively associated with stage of pubertal development (girls: odds ratio [OR] = 2.1, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.6-2.7; boys: OR = 1.5, 95% CI 1.0-2.2) and overweight (girls: OR = 1.9, 95% CI 1.2-3.0; boys: OR = 2.7, 95% CI 1.4-5.1). Conclusions: Misperception of being overweight and concern with weight were common. Purging was a very rare behavior, but increased with pubertal development. Among the girls, the prevalence increased sharply around the onset of adolescence.