Teenage girls who read a lot of articles on weight loss and dieting are likely to adopt drastic weight loss techniques

Medindia.com: Parents of teenage girls might want to have another look at that attractive magazine their daughter is reflecting upon.

According to recent studies, teenage girls who read articles on weight loss and dieting in such magazines are more prone to resort to drastic weight reducing techniques such as vomiting, laxatives or smoking more cigarettes, than those who don’t.

The study, published in Pediatrics' January edition, was conducted by studying 2,516 Minnesota teens, almost half boys and half girls. The teens were studied for five years, starting when they were about 13 to 15 years old and a follow- up done, 5 years later.At the study's start, the teens completed surveys about dieting, body image, and self-esteem. The survey also included this question: "How often do you read magazine articles in which dieting or weight loss is discussed?"

Forty-four percent of the girls reported reading such articles frequently, compared with 14 percent of the boys.
In results of the follow –up survey it was found that girls who read such magazines were twice as likely to develop unhealthy habits like skipping meals or fasting.

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