Onset of dieting in childhood and adolescence: implications for personality, psychopathology, eating attitudes and behaviors of women with eating disorder

Purpose This study examined the MMPI-2 and EDI-2 scores of 205 Korean women with eating disorders to identify difference between early and adulthood onset of dieting groups. Methods 101 women had started dieting in their childhood to adolescence (EARLYdieting group) and 104 had started dieting in their adulthood (ADULTdieting group). Results Both of the MMPI-2 and EDI-2 scores were significantly different between the two groups before and after adjusting for the duration since the onset of eating disorder. EARLYdieting group scored higher in the MMPI-2 clinical scales 1, 3, 0 and the EDI-2 bulimia scale. EARLYdieting group tended to use a more varied dieting strategy. Conclusions The findings suggested that starting to diet early in life may be related to more severe psychopathology and dieting behaviors in adulthood.