Eating disorders in children and adolescents

Nutrition-Related Knowledge, Diet Quality, Lifestyle, and Body Composition of 7-12-Years-Old Polish Students: Study Protocol of National Educational Project Junior-Edu-Żywienie (JEŻ)

Increasing students' nutrition knowledge is an important goal of school education which may improve their lifestyle and consequently reduce the incidence of non-communicable chronic diseases, including obesity. This research aimed at assessing the dietary habits, nutrition-related knowledge and attitudes, and nutritional status of Polish students aged 7-12 years. Additional objectives included recognizing nutrition-related knowledge among their parents and teachers as well as the school food and nutrition environment. The final goal was to develop a nutrition education program. This study protocol presents a general and detailed approach for realizing the above-mentioned issues, including conducting quantitative and qualitative research. The study was designed as cross-sectional, covering primary school students from all over Poland, including rural, town, and metropolitan areas. Data on eating habits, lifestyle, nutrition-related knowledge, and attitudes were collected with questionnaires. Measurements of body weight, height, waist and hip circumferences, and handgrip strength were performed in accordance with the International Standards for Anthropometric Assessment (ISAK) recommendations. Body composition was assessed with bioelectrical impedance analysis. Ultimately, 2218 schools from all 16 voivodeships in Poland registered for the project. In total, quantitative data were collected among 27,295 students, 17,070 parents, and 2616 teachers. Anthropometric measurements were taken among 18,521 students. The results allow us to develop a multifaceted educational program based on knowledge and adapted to the perception of students. Our research may contribute to the identification of subpopulations of children and adolescents at risk of excessive body weight and define the predictors of obesity risk in Poland.

Disordered Eating and Eating Disorders in Pediatric Obesity: Assessment and Next Steps

While the exact prevalence of disordered eating in youth who are overweight and have obesity has not been determined, studies show that the odds of a young adult (18-24 years) with obesity engaging in disordered eating behaviors is 2.45 times more likely to occur than in young adults with Body Mass Indexes (BMI) in the normative range. The purpose of this review is to highlight the role that disordered eating and eating disorders may play in pediatric obesity and the importance of screening for these conditions. The ability to identify and assess disordered eating alters the course of treatment. Without an understanding of the intersection of obesity and disordered eating, medical providers may continue treatment-as-usual. Doing so may inadvertently contribute to internalized weight bias in patients with obesity and exacerbate their disordered eating symptoms and behaviors. In addition, understanding the spectrum of disordered eating in pediatric patients with obesity allows providers to tailor treatments, discuss food and physical activity differently, and know when to refer patients to eating-disorder-specific providers for continued treatment.