Non-clinical adolescent girls at risk of eating disorder: under-reporters or restrained eaters?

Background: To evaluate the plausibility of self-reported energy intake, Goldberg et al proposed a technique to identify the miss-reporters. Subjects: After screening2,967 adolescents by EAT-40 test, 132 at risk of ED and 151 as a control group were studied. Aim: To determine whether subjects at risk of eating disorders that are identified as under reporters can be considered as UR or in turn as restrained eaters. Methods: We determined dietary energy intake, body mass index, body satisfaction, physical activity, psychopathology, dietary restraint factor, weight loss and diagnoses of eating disorders. We applied Goldberg's equations to identify under reporters. Results: 40.9% of girls at risk of eating disorders were identified as under reporters and only 7.3% were in the control group. A total of 64.4% of the Eating Disorders Not Otherwise Specified were under reporters. The body mass index of under reporters was significantly higher than in the other of subjects regardless of whether they were at risk of eating disorders. Girls at risk of eating disorders and under reporter had significantly lower body satisfaction than other groups. Multiple logistic regressions in all subjects showed that the risk of being UR was associated with an increase in the body mass index, increase in dietary restraint scores and weight loss; whereas, that only the body mass index was associated with the control group. Conclusion: The prevalence of under reporter increases with the severity of the eating disorders several adolescent girls at risk of eating disorder and identified by Goldberg cut-off technique as under reporter may to be restricting their intake and therefore they would not be under reporter.