Self-Reported Disordered Eating and Weight-Control Behaviours Across BMI Categories in Romanian Young Adults: A Cross-Sectional Online Convenience Survey.

Dietary restriction and physical exercise were the most common weight-control methods reported by Romanian young adults.

• Sample consisted of 753 Romanian adults aged 18-30 years surveyed in March-April 2026.
• Dietary restriction was reported by 57.4% of participants.
• Physical exercise for weight control was reported by 46.7% of participants.
• Less frequent methods included self-induced vomiting (6.4%) and medication use (4.5%).

Compulsive or emotional eating and food-related guilt were highly prevalent across the sample.

• Lifetime compulsive/emotional eating was reported by 50.1% of participants.
• Current stress-related eating was reported by 49.1% of participants.
• Guilt after eating was reported by 66.1% of participants.
• These indicators were assessed via a 30-item self-report questionnaire in a predominantly female sample (93.5% female).

Night eating was commonly reported on a lifetime basis but less so currently.

• Lifetime night eating was reported by 31.9% of participants.
• Current night eating was reported by 12.9% of participants.
• Current night eating did not differ significantly across BMI categories (p = 0.92).

Body dissatisfaction, difficulty looking in the mirror, and self-reported stress were widespread in this sample.

• 36.1% of participants reported being 'not at all satisfied' with their body.
• 66.7% reported difficulty looking in the mirror.
• 82.2% reported self-reported stress.
• The sample was predominantly female (93.5%) and largely urban.

Dietary restriction, emotional eating, and guilt after eating increased steeply and monotonically with BMI category.

• In adjusted models, overweight/obesity vs. normal weight was associated with dietary restriction (aOR 2.34, p < 0.001), emotional eating (aOR 2.49, p < 0.001), and guilt after eating (aOR 2.73, p < 0.001).
• Dietary restriction prevalence increased from 24.1% in underweight participants to 55.5% in normal-weight and 74.2% in overweight/obesity participants.
• Corresponding monotonic gradients were also observed for emotional eating and food-related guilt.
• Models were adjusted for age and sex and estimated as multivariable logistic regression odds ratios.

Night eating and frequent self-weighing showed no significant difference across BMI categories.

• Current night eating did not differ across BMI categories (p = 0.92).
• Frequent self-weighing did not differ across BMI categories (p = 0.82).
• This contrasted with the strong BMI gradients observed for restriction, emotional eating, and guilt.

The sample was predominantly normal weight, female, and omnivorous, with a notable proportion underweight or overweight/obese.

• Most participants were normal weight (59.1%).
• 11.6% were classified as underweight and 29.3% as overweight or obese using WHO BMI cutoffs.
• 93.5% of participants were female.
• 86.3% reported being omnivorous.
• Self-reported anthropometric measurements were used to calculate BMI.

The authors caution that findings should not be generalised to Romanian young men or rural populations without confirmation in more representative samples.

• The study used a cross-sectional online convenience survey design, limiting causal inference and generalisability.
• The sample was 93.5% female and largely urban.
• Prevalences were compared using chi-square tests with Wilson 95% confidence intervals.
• The authors note that region-specific data from Romania and Central and Eastern Europe remain scarce.