The Ue of Diet pills among adolescent girls

The Use of Diet Pills among Adolescent Girls

Dieting is a common occurrence in our country, but dieting is most common among adolescent girls. Since millions of Americans try to lose weight every year, many of them turn to weight-loss pills for help (MFMER 2004). Dieting may place the risk of using unhealthy weight control behaviors such as diet pills (Eisenberg, Neumark-Sztainer, Story, & Perry 2004). A study by the CDC showed that 10.9 percent of adolescent girls use diet pills as their weight-loss strategy (Eisenberg, Neumark-Sztainer, Story, & Perry 2004). The study showed that 10.9 percent of adolescent girls use diet pills as their weight-loss strategy (Eisenberg, Neumark-Sztainer, Story, & Perry 2004). The quest for weight loss and the use of this weight-loss strategy is thought to be an unhealthy weight behavior that is led from the consumer world (Eisenberg, Neumark-Sztainer, Story, & Perry 2004). The appeal of losing weight quickly is often too hard to pass up (MFMER 2004). During early adolescence, the onset of body dissatisfaction, dieting, and other problem weight loss behavior occurs (Garry, Morrissey, and Whetstone 2002).

In a weight-centered approach to health, thinness is viewed as a crucial goal for optimum health, and thus one to be strived by all, including starting at an early age (Cogan 1999). As much as 40 percent to 70 percent of the US population is trying to lose weight at any given time, with young women being the most likely to be struggling with their weight (Cogan 1999). According to the Center for disease control, 59.4 percent of adolescent girls report trying to lose weight in the past 30 days (Eisenberg, Neumark-Sztainer, Story, & Perry 2004). Studies of middle school students have reported that between 30 percent and 55 percent have dieted at some time (Eisenberg, Neumark-Sztainer, Story, & Perry 2004). Also a recent review in 2004 indicated that 41 to 66 percent of teenage girls have attempted the use of a weight loss strategy to achieve their goal (Dieting 2004). About one third of normal dieter’s progress to other problem dieting behaviors using tactics such as diet pills (Eisenberg, Neumark-Sztainer, Story, & Perry 2004). The use of diet pills to lose weight or to keep from gaining weight was reported by 7.1 percent of students in a study conducted 5,770 students (Eisenberg, Neumark-Sztaine...

... middle of paper ...

...and their weight, helping them find healthy alternatives to weight loss and providing them with nutritional guidance can be achieved to avoid diet pill use.

References:

Cogan, Jeanine (1999). Dieting, Weight, and Health: Reconceptualizing Research and Policy. Journal of Social Issues, 55(2), pp187-205.

Dieting in Adolescence. Pediatrics and Child Health, 9 (7), p487 – 491.

Eisenberg, M. Neumark-Sztainer, D., Story, M., and C. Perry (2004). The Role of Social Norms and Friends’ influences on Unhealthy Weight-control Behaviors among Adolescent Girls. Social Science and Medicine, 60(6), p1165-1173.

Garry, J., Morrissey, S., and L.Whetstone (2002). Substance Use and Weight Loss Tactics among Middle School Youth. International Journal of Eating Disorders.

MFMER:Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (2004). Over-the-Counter weight-loss Products. MMFER.

National Institute of Health (2004). Physical Activity and Weight Control. National Institute of Health.