Significant sexual dimorphisms in the manifestations of pubertal development are seen in obese girls and boys. Two known effects of obesity, increased peripheral conversion of low-potency androgens to estrogens by adipose tissue-aromatase and increased insulin resistance, may be in large part responsible for these differences.

Objective To compare the characteristic meal patterns of adolescents with and without loss of control (LOC) eating episodes. Method The Eating Disorder Examination was administered to assess self-reported LOC and frequency of meals consumed in an aggregated sample of 574 youths (12-17 y; 66.6% female; 51.2% Caucasian; BMI-z: 1.38 ± 1.11), among whom 227 (39.6%) reported LOC eating. Results Compared to those without LOC, youth with LOC were less likely to consume lunch and evening meals (ps<.05), but more likely to consume morning, afternoon, and nocturnal snacks (ps≤.05), accounting for age, sex, race, socio-economic status, BMI-z, and treatment-seeking status. Discussion Adolescents with reported LOC eating appear to engage in different meal patterns compared to youth without LOC, and adults with binge eating. Further research is needed to determine if the meal patterns that characterize adolescents with LOC play a role in worsening disordered eating and/or excessive weight gain.

Background Both insufficiency and resistance to the actions of the adipocyte-derived hormone leptin promote hunger, increased food intake, and greater body weight. Some studies suggest adults reporting binge eating have increased serum leptin compared to those without binge eating, even after adjusting for the greater adiposity that characterizes binge eaters. Pediatric binge or loss of control (LOC) eating are prospective risk factors for excessive weight gain and may predict development of metabolic abnormalities, but whether LOC eating is associated with higher leptin among children is unknown. We therefore examined leptin and LOC eating in a pediatric cohort. Methods A convenience sample of 506 lean and obese youth (7–18y) was recruited from Washington, DC and its suburbs. Serum leptin was collected after an overnight fast. Adiposity was measured by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry or air displacement plethysmography. LOC eating was assessed by interview methodology. Results Leptin was strongly associated with fat mass (r=.79, p<.001). However, even after adjusting for adiposity and other relevant covariates, youth with LOC eating had higher serum leptin compared to those without LOC episodes (15.42±1.05 vs. 12.36±1.04 ng/mL, p<.001). Neither reported amount of food consumed during a recent LOC episode nor number of LOC episodes in the previous month accounted for differences in leptin (ps>.05). The relationship between LOC eating and leptin appeared to be significant for females only (p=0.002). Conclusions Reports of LOC eating were associated with higher fasting leptin in youth, beyond the contributions of body weight. Prospective studies are required to elucidate if LOC eating promotes greater leptin or if greater leptin resistance may promote LOC eating.