Preliminary validation of developmental weight suppression in youth with transdiagnostic eating disorders
Abstract Background Weight suppression (WS), traditionally defined as the difference between highest past and current weights at adult height, is a correlate and predictor of eating disorder (ED) psychopathology. However, for growing adolescents, it may be more appropriate to use a developmentally-a...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Journal of Eating Disorders |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-025-01349-0 |
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| Summary: | Abstract Background Weight suppression (WS), traditionally defined as the difference between highest past and current weights at adult height, is a correlate and predictor of eating disorder (ED) psychopathology. However, for growing adolescents, it may be more appropriate to use a developmentally-adjusted calculation of WS. This study compared how developmental WS, calculated using zBMIs, compared with traditional WS, calculated using weights, as correlate of ED psychopathology in treatment-seeking adolescents with transdiagnostic EDs. Methods Adolescents with EDs (N = 93) completed the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) at presentation to outpatient care. Weight histories were extracted from medical records. Regressions examined the association between each measure of WS and EDE-Q scores, adjusting for ED diagnosis. Dominance analyses with bootstrapping assessed whether developmental WS outperformed traditional WS. Results Developmental WS negatively associated with EDE-Q Shape (sr 2 = 0.05, p =.020) and Weight Concern (sr 2 = 0.05, p =.021). In contrast, traditional WS did not associate with any EDE-Q scores. Although dominance weights were larger for developmental WS compared to traditional WS, bootstrap sampling revealed no significant differences in magnitudes. Conclusions Results preliminarily support developmental WS as a correlate of body image concerns in youth with EDs, though replication is needed. |
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| ISSN: | 2050-2974 |