NIDA Notes

Archive Sections

Archived Content

This is archived NIDA Notes content. For current NIDA Notes, please visit nida.nih.gov.

Archive Home

This is Archived Content

This content is available for historical purposes only. It may not reflect the current state of science or language from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). To view the latest NIDA Notes visit nida.nih.gov/news-events/nida-notes.

Cite this article

NIDA. (2009, December 1). Teens With Unhealthy Weight-Control Behavior Are More Likely to Abuse Drugs. Retrieved from https://archives.drugabuse.gov/news-events/nida-notes/2009/12/teens-unhealthy-weight-control-behavior-are-more-likely-to-abuse-drugs

press ctrl+c to copy
December 01, 2009
bar chart showing higher prevalence of poor behaviors among teens with disordered eating versus no disorders in both boys and girls High school students who attempt to control weight by engaging in unhealthy behaviors - fasting, purging, or using diet aids without a doctor's advice - are also more likely to have substance abuse problems. Only lifetime marijuana use in girls was lower among those who engaged in unhealthy weight-control behaviors. Among the 13,917 teens who participated in the 2005 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System, 20 percent of girls and 10 percent of boys reported unhealthy weight-control behaviors during the past month.

Source:

Pisetsky, E.M. et al. Disordered eating and substance use in high-school students: Results from the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System.International Journal of Eating Disorders 41(5):464-470, 2008. [Abstract]

-->