Juvenile delinquents are more likely than their law-abiding peers to use unhealthy behaviors to control their weight, such as fasting, vomiting and taking diet pills, a study shows.

Delinquent teens are also more likely to see themselves as overweight, but no more likely to be overweight, than non-delinquent young people, according to the study reported in the International Journal of Eating Disorders.

“These findings point to increased needs for research and interventions on weight-related issues among juvenile delinquents,” Dr. Ching-hua Ho and colleagues from Clemson University in South Carolina conclude.

To investigate whether there might be ties between delinquency and weight control strategies, as well as risk of being overweight, they looked at a national sample of 12,713 high school students aged 14 to 17 years. The researchers had hypothesized that delinquent teens might struggle more with their weight, given that they likely have more difficulties with impulse control.

The adolescents were classified as delinquent if they had carried a weapon in the past 30 days, gotten into a physical fight in the past year, or used an illegal drug during the past 30 days.

Six percent of the group met the definition of delinquency.

Thirty-four percent of delinquents and 30 percent of non-delinquents were overweight. One quarter of the delinquents reported having fasted to lose weight or prevent weight gain, compared to 12 percent of non-delinquent youth.

Fourteen percent of delinquents had vomited to control their weight, while 4 percent of non-delinquent youths had done so. Nineteen percent of delinquent kids had used diet pills, compared to 7 percent of non-delinquents.

Overall, the researchers found, delinquent teens were four to five times more likely to fast, vomit or take diet pills for weight control, and 50 percent more likely to view themselves as overweight, than non-delinquents.

Younger delinquent teens were even more likely to fast, vomit or take diet pills than their older counterparts. These unhealthy behaviors were more common among girls than boys.

SOURCE: International Journal of Eating Disorders, September 2006.