Raging hormones? Teen obesity from developmental changes? Erratic schedules? All have all been targeted at one time or another as causes for teen overweight. Paradoxically, it was dieting that was found to be a leading predictor of weight gain over time in adolescents. Up to now researchers didn’t understand the reasons that made dieting the predictor of adolescent weight gain that it is.

Here’s the scoop for parents of adolescents and those teens tracking into unhealthy weight ranges.

As reported in the “Journal of the American Dietetic Association” a group of researchers reported their findings based on a five-year study of over 2,500 female and male teenagers from a range of ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds.

Among both females and males who participated, the dieting model predicted an increase in binge eating and a decrease in eating breakfast. In addition, dieting among males also demonstrated a decrease in physical activity.

Interestingly, even after the dieting model was discontinued and certain factors were adjusted, there still remained a significant association between dieting and the increasing girth of the participants. Researchers were left to conclude that dieting may lead to weight gain because the behavior patterns exhibited by the study participants are counterproductive and contributed to teen obesity and not achieving and sustaining a healthy weight range.