240909 A modified obesity proneness (MOP2) model explains adolescent weight concerns and lack of self-control with food

Monday, October 31, 2011: 11:10 AM

Jen Nickelson, PhD, RD , Department of Health Science, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL
Carol A. Bryant, PhD , Florida Prevention Research Center, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
Eric R. Buhi, MPH, PhD, CHES , Department of Community and Family Health, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
Rita DeBate, PhD, MPH, CHES , Center for Transdisciplinary Research on Women's Health, Department of Community and Family Health, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
Robert J. McDermott, PhD , Florida Prevention Research Center, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
BACKGROUND: Because children learn eating behaviors in the context of a family environment, it is important to understand how this environment influences the development of disordered eating that may be carried over to school settings and contribute to overweight/obesity. PURPOSE: We investigated the ability of a modified obesity proneness (MOP) model to explain parental influence on development of disordered eating. SIGNIFICANCE: A Healthy People 2020 priority objective is “to reduce the proportion of adolescents who engage in disordered eating behaviors in an attempt to control their weight.” METHODS: A random cluster sample of 1533 public high school students from a Florida school district completed a survey about adolescents' weight concerns, ability to self-regulate eating, and perceptions about maternal beliefs/practices. Structural equation modeling (SEM) tested the ability of the MOP model to predict weight concerns and self-regulation of eating. FINDINGS: Although the original model was rejected for inadequate fit, an alternate model (MOP2) was plausible and cross-validated in a hold-out sample of high school youth. All the model's originally proposed relationships were statistically significant, e.g. perceived maternal weight comments were associated with adolescents' weight concerns (&beta=0.64; p<.0001), and perceived maternal restrictive feeding practices were associated with adolescents' inability to self-regulate eating (&beta=0.22; p<.001). CONCLUSIONS: Weight concerns and lack of self-control with food are characteristic of disordered eating. Family and school level interventions addressing the model's constructs, e.g., mothers making weight-related comments and restricting children's dietary intake, may provide a partial solution to problems of disordered eating that contribute to obesity.

Learning Areas:
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
Identify factors associated with adolescent weight concerns and inability to self-regulate eating behaviors. Describe the modified obesity proneness model and the relationship between constructs of the model. Describe family or school level interventions to address obesity proneness among school-aged youth.

Keywords: Adolescent Health, Obesity

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a registered dietitian with advanced training in public health education.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.