Weight-Control Practices Reported by Students in a Maine Middle School

Extension professionals who work with youth are often faced with issues of body weight, diet and/or body image. How we handle these topics has the potential to either help or harm. The goal of the study reported here was to explore the prevalence and types of weight-control methods practiced by middle school students. The majority of students reported practices that have been previously associated with increased risk for becoming overweight. Those who work with children should be careful to avoid contributing to the tendency for children to begin weight-control practices that may paradoxically increase their risk for becoming overweight