Phelps L, Andrea R, Rizzo F G, Johnston L, Main C M
School psychology program, State University of New York at Buffalo.
Int J Eat Disord. 1993 Nov;14(3):375-8. doi: 10.1002/1098-108x(199311)14:3<375::aid-eat2260140316>3.0.co;2-8.
In order to assess the prevalence and stability of weight reduction techniques utilized by adolescent females, three comprehensive samples of middle school and high school students (ages 12-18) were surveyed in the springs of 1984, 1989, and 1992. All participants were enrolled in the same school district to ensure that the groups were demographically equivalent. The results demonstrated a significant decrease in the use of appetite suppressants among high school students. However, middle school females reported a significant increase in medication use and self-induced vomiting during the same 7-year period. Laxative abuse has persisted unchanged for a small segment of both populations.
