Laxative abuse for weight control in adolescents

The present study investigated laxative abuse among adolescents of both genders and from diverse socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds. The relationship of laxative abuse to other eating disorders was also assessed. Results indicated that 3.5% of the nonclinical adolescent population used laxatives to control their weight. There were no gender differences; twice as many upper SES adolescents used laxatives. The use of diuretics was the other weight reduction technique that most highly correlated with laxative use. Significantly more laxative users met DSM-III criteria for bulimia. However, interestingly enough, 45% of the laxative users showed no other accompanying eating disorder. This finding suggests that this group is not likely to be detected and may thereby remain untreated and be at risk for physical and psychiatric problems.