Obesity prevention messages, risk behaviors for eating disorders and body mass index: Cluster analysis

Abstract

Public health experts have argued that obesity prevention campaigns can have negative health effects such as risk behaviors for eating disorders. This study aimed to identify the relationship between body mass index, the presence of risk behaviors for eating disorders, and hearing to obesity prevention messages. The adolescents were measured to calculate their body mass index. The presence of risk behaviors for eating disorders was evaluated, and the number and frequently of obesity prevention messages they heard was registered. A cluster analysis was used for the statistical analysis. Among the results it was found, that the adolescents reported hearing an average of seven different obesity prevention messages in one week; the most commonly heard message was measure your waist. The most common risk behaviors for eating disorders seen in the adolescents were excessive exercise and fear of gaining weight. One cluster were identified obese adolescents that reported hearing fewer obesity prevention messages and presented various risk behaviors for eating disorders. Other cluster were normal weight adolescents that reported hearing more obesity prevention messages and presented few risk behaviors for eating disorders. In conclusion, it is advisable to design campaigns that simultaneously prevent obesity and risk behaviors for eating disorders.