M A Gupta1. 1. University of Michigan Medical School, USA.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Examine the association between concerns about aging and a drive for thinness. METHOD:Two groups were studied: (1) randomly selected nonclinical subjects (77 men, M +/- SD age: 44.4 +/- 18.3 years; 140 women, M +/- SD age: 41.9 +/- 15.3 years) from Ann Arbor, Michigan (replication of an earlier shopping mall-based survey); and (2) women (N = 54) who were concerned about their aging appearance (18 women with mild to moderate skin aging, M +/- SD age: 41 +/- 4 years; 36 women with moderate to severe skin aging, M +/- SD age: 62 +/- 6 years) and had volunteered for 24-week, prospective, controlled studies evaluating the efficacy of topical retinoic acid versus placebo for the treatment of aging skin. All subjects rated their aging-related concerns on previously developed scales, and completed the Drive for Thinness (DT) and Body Dissatisfaction (BD) subscales of the Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI). RESULT: In the random community survey there was a direct correlation between both concerns about the effect of aging on the appearance (men: r = .28, p < .05; women: r = .32, p < .01) and concerns about the cutaneous stigmata of aging (men: r = .38, p < .01; women: r = .28, p < .01) and DT (EDI). In the aging skin study both DT (EDI) and BD (EDI) were lower (p < .01) at 24 weeks posttherapy, in the retinoic acid (n = 32) but not the placebo (n = 22) group. DISCUSSION: Concerns about an aging appearance can be associated with a drive for thinness and excessive dieting, factors that are important in the development of eating disorders.
RCT Entities:
OBJECTIVE: Examine the association between concerns about aging and a drive for thinness. METHOD: Two groups were studied: (1) randomly selected nonclinical subjects (77 men, M +/- SD age: 44.4 +/- 18.3 years; 140 women, M +/- SD age: 41.9 +/- 15.3 years) from Ann Arbor, Michigan (replication of an earlier shopping mall-based survey); and (2) women (N = 54) who were concerned about their aging appearance (18 women with mild to moderate skin aging, M +/- SD age: 41 +/- 4 years; 36 women with moderate to severe skin aging, M +/- SD age: 62 +/- 6 years) and had volunteered for 24-week, prospective, controlled studies evaluating the efficacy of topical retinoic acid versus placebo for the treatment of aging skin. All subjects rated their aging-related concerns on previously developed scales, and completed the Drive for Thinness (DT) and Body Dissatisfaction (BD) subscales of the Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI). RESULT: In the random community survey there was a direct correlation between both concerns about the effect of aging on the appearance (men: r = .28, p < .05; women: r = .32, p < .01) and concerns about the cutaneous stigmata of aging (men: r = .38, p < .01; women: r = .28, p < .01) and DT (EDI). In the aging skin study both DT (EDI) and BD (EDI) were lower (p < .01) at 24 weeks posttherapy, in the retinoic acid (n = 32) but not the placebo (n = 22) group. DISCUSSION: Concerns about an aging appearance can be associated with a drive for thinness and excessive dieting, factors that are important in the development of eating disorders.