Are there any statistics on children with respect to eating behaviors or eating disorders?
• One study showed that 42% of first- through third-grade girls want to be thinner. (6) • Expectations regarding thinness among females are evident as early as 6 and 7 years old. (6) • In a study of 457 fourth graders, 40% reported “very often” or “sometimes” dieting. (8) • Dieting, fear of fatness, and binge eating were reported by 31% to 46% of 9-year-olds and 46% to 81% of 10-year-olds.
