TOPLINE

Among US adults, more than 60% reported wanting to weigh less, and those individuals were significantly more likely to engage in unhealthy weight control behaviors compared with those satisfied with their weight, with the strongest association observed for meal skipping.

METHODOLOGY

• A cross-sectional analysis of 5475 adults aged ≥ 21 years from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2017-2018 cycle examined the association between a desire to weigh less and unhealthy weight control behaviors among American adults.
• Participants were asked whether they wanted to weigh more, less, or stay the same, and those attempting weight loss reported specific strategies including skipping meals, using non-prescription weight loss supplements, and using laxatives or self-induced vomiting.
• Researchers examined 3 self-regulated weight control behaviors classified as unhealthy: meal skipping, non-prescription supplement use, and laxative use or vomiting.
• Chi-square tests assessed associations between desire to weigh less and each unhealthy behavior, and a linear probability model adjusted for age, gender, race, and education level.

TAKEAWAY

• Of all respondents, 62.6% indicated a desire to weigh less, 28.9% wanted to maintain their current weight, and 8.4% wanted to weigh more.
• Individuals desiring weight loss were significantly more likely to skip meals (P <.001; χ², 173.52), use non-prescription supplements (P <.001; χ², 46.80), and use laxatives or induce vomiting (P <.001; χ², 15.67) compared with those who wanted to gain or maintain weight.
• In the adjusted linear probability model, wanting to weigh less increased the probability of skipping meals by 0.111, of using non-prescription supplements by 0.025, and of using laxatives or vomiting by 0.009.
• Women, non-Hispanic White individuals, and those with some college education or higher were more likely to report a desire to weigh less.

IN PRACTICE

"The findings of this study indicate a strong relationship between a desire to weigh less and engaging in less-than-ideal weight control behaviors among adults, broadening our understanding of self-regulated approaches that individuals who attempt to lose weight may resort to," wrote the authors of the study.

SOURCE

The study was led by Anna V. Garcia from the University of New England in Portland, Maine. It was published online on July 23 in Obesity Science & Practice.

LIMITATIONS

All behaviors were self-reported and may be subject to recall or social desirability bias. The NHANES questionnaire included limited items addressing weight loss approaches, restricting the range of unhealthy behaviors that could be examined. Use of a single prepandemic cycle limits temporal comparability.

DISCLOSURES

The authors reported no relevant conflicts of interest. No specific funding was reported for the study.

This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.