Prevalence of dieting and fear of weight gain across ages: a community sample from adolescents to the elderly

OBJECTIVES: The current study aimed to define the prevalence of dieting and fear of weight gain among men and women across the entire lifespan and identify factors associated with them. METHODS: Data were available for 31,636 participants (60.2% women; age 13-98 years) from the Netherlands Twin Register. Dieting and fear of weight gain were described by age and sex. Associations with BMI, exercise behavior, urbanization and educational attainment were examined by regression analyses in 19,294 participants. RESULTS: Dieting was most frequently reported by 35- to 65-year-old women (56.6-63%), an... Mehr ...