A University of Minnesota study found that teenage girls who frequently read dieting articles were more likely to use unhealthy weight loss practices five years later. Middle school girls who read dieting articles were twice as likely to use fasting or cigarettes to try and lose weight five years later.

"It didn't seem to matter whether the girls were overweight when they started reading about weight loss, nor whether they considered their weight important. After taking those factors into account, researchers still found reading articles about dieting predicted later unhealthy weight loss behavior."

The study also found that the actual content of the articles was nearly irrelevant. Even articles that made healthy suggestions like cutting back on soda had the same adverse effects. Read more at MSNBC.com.

New Leaf Academy is a junior boarding school just for middle school girls.

Labels: causes of eating disorders, dieting, media_influences