Regular weigh-ins can be healthy for teens
Key points
- Teenagers who regularly use the bathroom scale may be more likely than their peers to take healthy measures to control their weight, a new study suggests.
- The findings, reported in the Journal of Adolescent Health, counter those from an earlier study of teenage girls that linked regular weight checks to a higher risk of unhealthy weight-control habits.
- Instead, researchers found that among the 130 adolescents they surveyed, those who weighed themselves once a week or more were more likely to report healthy weight-control tactics - like exercising regularly or eating less junk food and more fruits and vegetables.
- They were not, in contrast, at increased risk of unhealthy measures, such as fasting, abusing laxatives or vomiting.
Teenagers who regularly use the bathroom scale may be more likely than their peers to take healthy measures to control their weight, a new study suggests.
The findings, reported in the Journal of Adolescent Health, counter those from an earlier study of teenage girls that linked regular weight checks to a higher risk of unhealthy weight-control habits.
Instead, researchers found that among the 130 adolescents they surveyed, those who weighed themselves once a week or more were more likely to report healthy weight-control tactics - like exercising regularly or eating less junk food and more fruits and vegetables.
They were not, in contrast, at increased risk of unhealthy measures, such as fasting, abusing laxatives or vomiting.
The teenagers in the study were all either overweight or had been overweight in the past two years before shedding the excess pounds. Overall, 43 percent said they weighed themselves at least once per week, while 57 percent weighed in less often or not at all.
It's not clear whether regular weight checks encouraged some teens to adopt a healthier lifestyle and, in some cases, lose weight. Nonetheless, the findings do suggest that regular weigh-ins can be part of a healthy weight-loss plan for teenagers, noted senior researcher Dr. Kerri N. Boutelle, an associate professor pediatrics and psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego.
Her advice to parents, she told Reuters Health, is that if their children are overweight, checking in with the scale can help them "self-regulate" their weight. As with adults, an awareness of weight fluctuations can help teenagers adjust their diet and exercise levels accordingly, Boutelle and her colleagues say.
On the other hand, obsessive weighing may signal a problem with body image, and possibly an increased risk of unhealthy weight-loss measures and eating disorders. If a teenager is checking his or her weight multiple times a day, Boutelle said, that should raise parents' concerns.
SOURCE: Journal of Adolescent Health, May 2009.
Written and revised by
David Cohen, M.D.
Our doctors write and review articles for accuracy and keep them up to date.
health.am provides general information, not medical advice. Always consult a qualified health professional about your own health.
Explore health topics
More in this topic
Weight & Nutrition →
NewsWeight loss may not harm obese teens' bones
Although adults who lose weight may also lose some bone mass, obese adolescents seem to keep gaining bone density as they shed pounds, a study suggests. The findings, reported in the medical journal Obesity, offer some…
15 February 2008
NewsPhysical Education and Active Play Help Teens Maintain Normal Weight as Adults
Adolescents who participate in physical education at school are more likely to maintain a normal weight as young adults, according to a study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. For…
9 January 2008
NewsThe Internet Helps Motivate Teens to Lose Weight
When 14-year-old Jared Sanchez became dangerously overweight, his primary care physician knew he would be a perfect candidate for an investigational weight loss study using the internet. The PACE (Patient-centered…
