eating behavior disorders:
This systematic review and meta-analysis of 32 studies involving a total of 63,000 participants from 16 countries reveals an alarming proportion of children and adolescents suffering from eating disorders (ED): thus 22% of those under 18 are concerned. , with an even higher prevalence in girls, as well as with increasing age and body mass index (BMI). These data, published in JAMA Pediatrics, underscore the urgency of implementing ED prevention strategies in young people.
Researchers from various Spanish research institutes and the T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University (Boston) point out that the 5-item Sick, Control, One, Fat, Food (SCOFF) questionnaire is the most widely used screening measure. used to detect and assess ED. If the tool exists and is recognized, no meta-analysis had, until then, specified the prevalence of these disorders in children and young people.
Nearly 1 in 3 girls suffers from TCA:
The study analyzed data from 63,181 children and adolescents aged 6 to 18 assessed by the SCOFF questionnaire, free from physical or mental disorders, the data having been collected outside the COVID-19 period. The analysis reveals a very high proportion of young people with eating disorders:
- the overall proportion of children and adolescents with eating disorders is 22.36%.
- girls are significantly more likely to develop an ED (30.03%) than boys (16.98%).
- the prevalence of eating disorders increases with age and body mass index (BMI).
This analysis carried out on a very large sample, in terms of participants, age groups and country of residence, demonstrates a real rise in eating disorders among the youngest, simultaneously with the obesity epidemic.
A worrying increase that calls for the urgent implementation of ED prevention strategies, including in the fight against obesity.
Labels
Feeding