Dr. Mary Alm and her colleagues divided 130 overweight teens into two groups - those who weigh themselves weekly or more often, and those who rarely weigh themselves. The ones who weigh themselves frequently weighed seven pounds less than those in the other group, and were more likely to have lost ten pounds over the past two years. They also consumed fewer calories and ate healthier foods.
"The fear is that an excessive focus on weight from frequent self-weighing may place teens at greater risk for engaging in unhealthy weight control behaviors and for developing an eating disorder," said lead author Mary Alm, Ph.D. "Our results suggest that self-weighing may be a beneficial tool, but more research is needed before recommending self-weighing to teens for weight control."
This study appeared in the Journal of Adolescent Health.
Posted By: Aspen Education Group
