NEW ORLEANS – High school and college students frequently misuse methylphenidate and dextroamphetamine/amphetamine for the purpose of weight loss, a study has shown.
Students are known to commonly misuse prescription stimulants to enhance concentration and alertness before a big exam or term paper. Most college students who admitted to misusing these drugs for weight loss also reported engaging in other unhealthy weight loss behaviors, some of which are strongly suggestive of an underlying eating disorder, according to Amy J. Jeffers, a graduate student in psychology at Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond.
For example, more than 20% of students using prescription stimulants in an effort to lose weight indicated they had also used laxatives or diuretics for the same purpose. A similar proportion reported having deliberately induced vomiting toward that end.
An anonymous 30-minute online survey was completed by 705 students at a large university, 26% of whom indicated they were currently dieting. Overall, misuse of prescription stimulants for the purpose of weight loss was reported by 11.7% of respondents: 13.1% of women and 9.7% of men. White students were significantly more likely to have engaged in this practice than blacks by a margin of 14.6% to 8.9%.
Roughly 60% or more of students who misused prescription stimulants for weight loss indicated they had also skipped meals, engaged in excessive physical exercise, or tried fad diets in an effort to lose weight. These unhealthy weight loss behaviors were much less common among students who did not use prescription stimulants for weight loss.
Individuals who misused prescription stimulants for weight loss frequently differed from those who did not in terms of their motivation for weight loss. They were significantly more likely to express a desire to lose weight for self-image reasons – that is, to feel more attractive. They also scored lower on a validated measure of self-esteem, as well as on the three subscales of the Eating and Appraisal Due to Emotions and Stress (EADES) Questionnaire, which is indicative of a compromised ability to cope with stress.
Physicians prescribing these medications for their approved indications may want to consider emphasizing the potential harmful effects of misusing the drugs for weight loss, she said.
Ms. Jeffers reported having no relevant financial conflicts.