Biological Bases: Age at dieting onset, body mass index, and dieting practices. A twin study By Enriquez et al. (2013)
Background
The objective of this research was to determine whether early age dieting onset can be taken as a risk factor for the increased adult body mass index or the use of some dieting practices considered risky. The research was conducted on female twins between the age of 18 to 60 years from the University of Washington Twin Registry in the year 2006. The research was conducted on a sample study group of 950 twins would completed two sets of surveys with an average of three years apart.
The research sought to demystify the various analogies represented about dieting behavior and the issue of weight gain. The association of the two issues has been documented in many documents and research publications. The two issue brings to the core the discussion of whether individuals who are exposed to higher body mass index are less likely to have a successful dieting or the argument if dieting behaviors are the causes of higher body mass index (Enriquez, Duncan, & Schur, 2013).
Body mass index or simply BMI and at times Quetelet index is a value derived from the mass or simply the body weight and an individual. It is defined as the body mass of an individual divided by the square of the body height. It is used to determine the nutritional heath status of a person. For most adults the most ideal BMI range is between 18.5 and 24.9. A value above 25 means that you have a body weight of that is more than ideal for your height. Basically the range between 25 to 29.9 one is considered overweight between 30 and 39.9 one is considered obese and anything above 40 is considered as acute obese and the last anything below 18.5 is considered as either severely malnourished or underweight.
Dieting
Definition Dieting is defined as the practice of eating food in regulated and at times supervised manner aimed at decreasing, maintain or increasing body weight. It can also be referred as conscious control or the enforcing restrictions on diet. Most of those who practice this form of eating are individuals who are either obese or those severely underweight. According to the research many people especially in the United States of America are struggling with the obesity epidemic. A lot of people have resulted to dieting as mean to control weight gain or even lose a few pounds. The obese and the extremely overweight category of people mostly choose to use dieting to shed of off the extra weight. This method however has not proved to be very useful for long term weight management. From the various studies the average age for dieting onset in the year 1970 was at around 14 years. The average age had significantly dropped to around 8 years by the 1990 according to a research by Eating Disorder Foundation report.
The female gender is mostly form evidence of various studies considered to use this method of weight management compared to their male counterparts. Data from the report by Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) indicated a staggering 61.2% of females in high school were involved dieting as form of weight management solution. This was against a 31.2 % of the male students. Another research by Bulik and Colleagues conducted among females age 25 -45 found that 67% of women are trying to lose weight, 53% are still dieting but have reached normal weight and another 75% of women had very disordered eating practices.
According to the research the prevalence of dieting in the female gender increase with increase in the body mass index. The study noted that 24% of women with normal body mass index practiced dieting, 49% of women with an overweight body mass index practiced dieting and 58% of women with obese body mass index practiced dieting. The research shows that despite the evidence showing dieting practices in individuals with higher body mass index almost a quarter of normal body mass index women practiced dieting. It is also documented that most of the normal weight dieter are most of the times unsatisfied with their lower body shapes or form. This was found to be independent of their general body weight (Cereda, 2011).
Dieting from various studies and as previously mentioned above is an infective weight management solution. This can be picked from the evidence illustrated above of the growing numbers of dieters but still obesity is on the rise more than ever. Research by reputable eating Disorder foundations have actually indicated that dieting can help lose a few pounds but most of that weight is gained back and times even gain more in the long run. This phenomenon is referred to as weight cycling which in most cases lead to accumulation of abdominal fat which is associated with the loss and gain of weight.
Dieting practices
There has been an increase in obesity rates globally and as a way to enhance weight loss, many individuals have resulted in dieting. Sadly, dieting has not been proved to be successful for maintaining long-term weight loss. In fact a majority of dieters either gain more weight with time or gain back their lost weight. All dieting practices are influenced either by learned eating habits, or influence of genetics on body weight. People who diet may involve themselves in healthy or risky dieting behaviors.
Risky dieting practices are linked with less healthy dietary patterns and have a higher likelihood of remaining or becoming overweight. These risky dieting behaviors include use of diet pills, laxatives, excessive exercising, fasting, or vomiting. Body loss diets are widely accessible over the internet and in public stores, but most of them are used without the recommendation of a specialist, hence posing a health risks of varying severity. On the other hand, maintaining healthy dieting practices may be tough. For some who have tried with no success may end up believing that dieting does not work for them. Well, this is because our bodies respond differently to different dieting practices and what may work for one individual may not work for you depending on other health factors or genetics. There are a number of ways that one can use to develop a healthy dieting that also restrains triggers of overeating and successfully achieve long-term weight loss. Some healthy dieting tips include:
Exercising- this improves your outlook and improves your body metabolism. You may walk, jog, or stretch out and you will have made the first step that will motivate you to lose weight. Time is not a barrier since you can spare at least 30 minutes of your time which is a good enough for working out. Also you can achieve this by finding an activity that you enjoy, such as dancing, walking with a friend, or playing a game. Emotional triggers of eating especially when we are lonely, bored, anxious, or stressed can ruin the diet and lead to an increase in weight. Restraining these emotional eating habits can help boost an individual’s effort to lose weight. There are healthier ways that can be of great help in such situations so as to control emotional eating habits. You may soak yourself in a hot bath, you can also try yoga, take a short nap, or go to a park and many other activities that can help in engaging both the body and mind. Another healthy practice is by reducing your sugar intake levels which is contained in diverse foods and soft drinks. Opt for fresh ingredients instead of canned foods which have higher sugar levels. By reducing your sugar intakes with time, your taste buds will also adjust with time and soon you will be able to curb the craving for sugary foods such as sweets. Filling up your diet with fruits, fiber and veggies can also help a lot in improving your diet ("Healthy Weight Loss & Dieting Tips: How To Lose Weight And Keep It Off".).
The relationship between the practice of dieting and body mass index
Form the research it has been established that dieting is associated to a greater extent to higher weight gain and over time higher body mass index values. The research noted that female dieters gain more weight over time compared to those who do not diet. The scientific facts about how dieting and increased weight gain are related are still unclear. However, various arguments have been made in relation to the relationship between dieting and increased body mass index. Some of these arguments include adoption of unhealthy dietary practices, physiological changes, and even genetic predispositions. The research found that people who practice dieting had tendencies to consume more food in the long term.
The research intimated no particular relationship between the age at dieting onset with BMI at time of baseline assessment in the unadjusted models. When the models were adjusted there was a significant association between age at dieting onset and body mass index. The results indicated a decrease of 0.06k/m2 per every increase in the age. The research helped demystify the data in regard to dieting and dieting practices from the two twin study.
References
Enriquez, Erin, Glen E. Duncan, and Ellen A. Schur. "Age At Dieting Onset, Body Mass Index, And Dieting Practices. A Twin Study". Appetite 71 (2013): 301-306. Web. 20 Apr. 2016.
"Weight-Loss Diets: Risky Practices | Anses - Agence Nationale De Sécurité Sanitaire De L’Alimentation, De L’Environnement Et Du Travail". Anses.fr. N.p., 2010. Web. 20 Apr. 2016.
Cereda, Emanuele. “Weight cycling is associated with body weight excess and abdominal fat accumulation: A cross-sectional study” Clinical Nutrition 30 (2011): 718-723.
Drapeau, V. “Do 6-yr changes in eating behaviors predict changes in body weight? Results from the Quebec Family Study” Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 27(2007): 808-814.
"Healthy Weight Loss & Dieting Tips: How To Lose Weight And Keep It Off". Helpguide.org. N.p., 2016. Web. 20 Apr. 2016.
