Frequent self weighing can lead to depression in women

Men in the frequent weight checking group, however, only associated their concerns with an increase in weight.

The researchers then used participants’ descriptions of how often they self-weighed to look at links between self-weighing and weight changes, psychological variables and behavioural outcomes.

Self-weighing too often may have a negative psychological effect on women as per this study.

The study’s lead author, Carly Pacanowski from the University of Minnesota, said that women who weighed themselves the most had an 80 percent chance of using unhealthy weight-control methods.

Since eating patterns develop early on in life, researchers behind Project EAT are trying to identify behavioral, personal and environmental factors behind eating and activity especially in young adults and teens. Their body mass index was also measured, along with their participation in unhealthy behaviours.

“Adolescent obesity is a public health concern, but body dissatisfaction and weight concerns are predictors of eating disorders”, Pacanowski explained.

Results showed that females in particular who reported increases in self-weighing during the study period were more likely to have increases in weight concern and depressive symptoms, as well as decreases in body satisfaction and self-esteem.

The researchers ranked participants’ self-weighing, ideal weight, weight concern, body satisfaction, self-esteem and depressive symptoms with a Likert scale.

The researchers’ primary interest in this investigation was to understand how changes in self-weighing were related to changes in the other variables studied.

This role of physicians comes back into play with the study released today in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior – it’s important that physicians pay careful attention to both teen males and females, who reportedly aren’t shy about the information that they are self-weighing.

Pacanowski concluded that doctors must make it a point to question young patients about self-weighing during office visits to find out any advantages or negative reporting.

Nevertheless, self-weighing is proved to be a healthy habit on adults, as a way to keep track of their health and possible avoiding further complications that come in older age. She said that making a note of this behavior consistently may assist in investigating more damaging changes in the psychological health of young adults.