Dieting at a Young Age May Lead to Poor Health in the Future

Most women incessantly stress over weight issues. They're well acquainted with all kinds of diets and can casually switch over when the need arises. But when the same pattern starts to repeat itself in young girls, it's a reason for worry. A new research done at the Florida State University found a link between dieting at a young age and some major health issues in the future like -- obesity, eating disorders, and even substance abuse. The study claimed that the younger a woman is when she goes on her first diet, the more prone she is to experience several negative health outcomes down the line. The oldest first time dieter in the study was 26 and the youngest was 3. A team led by Dr. Pamela Keel asked college women in 1982, 1992, 2002 and 2012 to report their dieting and weight history.
The team monitored their dieting habits for the next 10 years and examined the impact on their health.  The younger a woman, the more likely she was to develop extreme weight control behaviours like self-induced vomiting, binge drinking, and become overweight or obese when she reached her 30's.The researchers said that while the exact cause of these outcomes has  not been determined in this research, discouraging weight loss diets in young girls is said to help and reduce the risk of developing eating disorders and weight-related problems in the future.Researchers also encouraged the need for public health initiatives that will work to increase the well being of young girls like increasing the amount of physical activity in a day, reducing the time spent watching television and eating more fruits and vegetables. With inputs from PTI