Study: Your child's BMI is controlling their appetite for the future

A study presented at the European Conference on Obesity (ECO) revealed that BMI during childhood is linked to the risk of developing anorexia nervosa and bulimia later in life, according to the Medical Express website.

The study showed that a low body mass index (BMI) during childhood indicates an increased risk of developing anorexia nervosa in adults, while a high BMI or childhood weight gain indicates a higher risk of developing bulimia nervosa in the future.

 

Researchers examined the records of thousands of girls over their lives in the National Health Records, where they indicated that girls at risk of developing anorexia nervosa and bulimia had a BMI disorder that led to the development of eating disorders at an early age.

 

The results of the study indicated that in the United Kingdom, the annual number of new cases of anorexia nervosa doubled between 8 to 12 years, as a result of BMI before the disease associated with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, as the researchers suggested that high BMI precedes both diseases, while some The other suggests that a low BMI precedes anorexia nervosa and that a high BMI precedes bulimia nervosa.

During the study, 514 women were diagnosed with anorexia nervosa, with an average age of 20 years, and 315 women were diagnosed with bulimia nervosa, with an average age of 23 years. The analyzes indicated the existence of significant "inverse correlations" between childhood BMI and risk. Anorexia nervosa later in life, which means that the risk of developing anorexia nervosa decreased as BMI increased.

 

In contrast, the researchers observed significant and positive associations between childhood BMI and the risk of developing bulimia nervosa, so girls who were overweight were twice as likely to develop bulimia nervosa later in life.

 

 The researchers recommended that the BMI be maintained at normal levels in order to protect children from exposure to anorexia or bulimia nervosa.