Body dissatisfaction and body mass in girls and boys transitioning from early to mid-adolescence: additional role of self-esteem and eating habits

Abstract

BackgroundIn the transition from early to mid-adolescence, gender differences in pubertal development become significant. Body dissatisfaction is often associated with body mass, low self-esteem and abnormal eating habits. The majority of studies investigating body dissatisfaction and its associations have been conducted on female populations. However, some evidence suggests that males also suffer from these problems and that gender differences might already be observed in adolescence.AimsTo examine body dissatisfaction and its relationship with body mass, as well as self-esteem and eating habits, in girls and boys in transition from early to mid-adolescence.MethodsSchool nurses recorded the heights and weights of 659 girls and 711 boys with a mean age of 14.5 years. The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and the Body Dissatisfaction subscale of the Eating Disorder Inventory were used as self-appraisal scales. Eating data were self-reported.ResultsThe girls were less satisfied with their bodies than boys were with theirs (mean score (SD): 30.6 (SD 12.2) vs. 18.9 (SD 9.5); p < 0.001). The girls expressed most satisfaction with their bodies when they were underweight, more dissatisfaction when they were of normal weight and most dissatisfaction when they had excess body weight. The boys also expressed most satisfaction when they were underweight and most dissatisfaction when they had excess body weight. The boys reported higher levels of self-esteem than did the girls (mean (SD): 31.3 (4.8) vs. 28.0 (5.9); p < 0.001). The adolescents self-reporting abnormal eating habits were less satisfied with their bodies than those describing normal eating habits (mean (SD): 33.0 (12.9) vs. 21.2 (10.2); p < 0.001).ConclusionsBody mass, self-esteem and eating habits revealed a significant relationship with body dissatisfaction in the transitional phase from early to mid-adolescence in girls and boys, but significant gender differences were also found.

Body satisfaction and body weight in under- and healthy-weight adolescents: mediating effects of restrictive dieting, healthy and unhealthy food intake

“…Unfortunately, most of research so far has mostly included one measurement point [30][31][32]. The hypotheses in the present study will be tested using two measurement points to establish temporal precedence.…”

Insatisfacción con la imagen corporal y su relación con el estado nutricional, riesgo cardiometabólico y capacidad cardiorrespiratoria en niños pertenecientes a centros educativos públicos

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Saúde na escola: educação, saúde e inclusão em adolescentes brasileiros

“…O culto ao corpo é um exagero que remete ao mito de Narciso que perpassa a tênue divisa entre o normal e o patológico, conforme estudo clássico de Georges Canguilhem (Dias e Moreira, 2011), transitando no terreno das patologias psicológicas ou psiquiátricas, causando sofrimento psíquico, distorção da imagem corporal, insatisfação com o corpo e problemas psiquiátricos afetivos como ansiedade, anorexia nervosa e depressão (Lazzarini et al, 2006;Dumith et al, 2012;Mäkinen et al, 2012).…”