While increasing fruit and vegetable intakes have been widely recommended for chronic disease prevention, research indicates that intakes of fruits and vegetables among adolescents remain low. Participation in weight-control behaviors, including harmful practices among adolescents is so widespread that it has been termed an epidemic. Identifying adolescents at highest risk for negative dietary behaviors has implications for the targeting of resources towards those in greatest need of programs to address nutritional deficiencies. The purpose of this study was to identify the fruit and vegetable intakes and prevalence of weight-control behaviors among adolescents and to investigate the relationship between these behaviors. Data (N=16,262) for this study were extracted from the national school-based Youth Risk Behavior Survey, a component of the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System. These data were collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and have been shown to be reliable for this population. Subjects were asked to indicate which behaviors they practiced during the past 30 days in order to lose weight or to keep from gaining weight: dieting, exercising, vomiting or taking laxatives, and taking diet pills. The survey included 4 items related to fruit and vegetable intake: yesterday, how many times did you eat fruit; drink fruit juice; eat green salad; eat cooked vegetables? Results indicated that only 28% of boys and 22% of girls consumed recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables. Dieting, exercising, vomiting/laxative use, and diet pill use were more pronounced among girls than boys: 17% of boys and 42% of girls dieted; 40% of boys and 58% of girls exercised; 3% of boys and 7% of girls vomited or used laxatives; and 2% of boys and 7% of girls took diet pills to lose weight. The increasing prevalence of harmful weight-control behaviors among adolescents, especially females is a serious concern. Chi-square and odds ratio analyses were utilized to examine the association between fruit and vegetable intake and each weight-control behavior. Adolescents in this study who dieted, exercised, or used pathogenic methods for weight control were not at a reduced risk of inadequate fruit and vegetable consumption. Proposed strategies for prevention begin with widespread education regarding the benefits of a healthy diet and the harmful consequences of dangerous weight-control practices. Educational efforts need to stress the side effects of poor nutrition such as fatigue, anemia, electrolyte abnormalities, and depression.