Long-term Goals: 1. To expand my knowledge of, and ability to conduct research into, the nature and treatment of obesity and eating disorders (EDs). 2. To better understand the relation between pediatric obesity and EDs, and particularly to look at risk and maintenance factors in the development of eating pathology and EDs in children and adolescents with obesity.
Specific Aims : 1. To characterize a diverse sample of youth (ages 10-18) seeking treatment for overweight and obesity in terms of psychopathology, specifically EDs, subclinical eating pathology, mood disorders, and anxiety disorders. 2. To evaluate the relationship between ED pathology, specifically body dissatisfaction, over concern with body weight and shape, and binge eating, and five components linked to the pathogenesis of eating pathology by empirical and theoretical evidence. The five components to be examined include negative affect, perfectionism, internalization of a thin body ideal, parent modeling of eating attitudes/behaviors, and appearance-related teasing.
