Diet Pill and Laxative Use for Weight Control and Subsequent Incident Eating Disorder in US Young Women: 2001-2016.

Abstract

<i>Objectives.</i> To investigate the prospective association of diet pill and laxative use for weight control with subsequent first eating disorder diagnosis in young women.<i>Methods.</i> We used longitudinal data from 10 058 US women spanning 2001 through 2016. We used multivariable logistic regression models, adjusting for age, race/ethnicity, and overweight status to estimate the association between weight-control behaviors and subsequent eating disorder diagnosis.<i>Results.</i> Among those who had not previously received an eating disorder diagnosis, women who reported diet pill (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 5.6; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 3.0, 10.5) or laxative (AOR = 6.0; 95% CI = 4.2, 8.7) use for weight control had higher odds of receiving a subsequent first eating disorder diagnosis within 1 to 3 years than those who did not report using these products.<i>Conclusions.</i> Use of diet pills or laxatives for weight loss can be dangerous and may be a warning sign that warrants counseling and evaluation for the presence of or risk of developing an eating disorder.<i>Public Health Implications.</i> Policymakers and public health professionals should develop and evaluate policy initiatives to reduce or prohibit access to diet pills and laxatives abused for weight control.