Association of a History of Childhood-Onset Obesity and Dieting with Eating Disorders.

This was a retrospective, observational chart review conducted on a convenience sample of 537 outpatients, aged 16-60 years, referred to an Italian Dietetic and Nutrition University Center. The study aimed to look at the association between a history of childhood obesity and dieting behaviors with development of eating disorders (ED) at a later age. Subjects with a history of ED (n=118), assessed using both self-report and health records, were compared with those with no EDs (n=419) (NED), who were attending the clinic mainly for primary prevention of metabolic and cardiovascular risk. Logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the association of childhood-onset obesity with development of an ED at a later age. Childhood-onset obesity, gender, maternal history of eating disorders and dieting were associated with a positive history of ED at a later age (p<0.05). It is important to raise professional awareness of early symptoms of EDs in children with a history of obesity and treat them accordingly.