Cultural Issues in Eating Pathology and Body Image Among Children and Adolescents

Abstract

Eating pathology and body image issues are now recognized as affecting all racial and ethnic groups. This article reviews eating pathology and body image concerns in four diverse groups in the U.S. (African Americans, Latino/as, Asians, and Native Americans). The major conclusion based on this review is that eating disturbances and body dissatisfaction occur to some degree in children and adolescents from all four major ethnic groups in the U.S; however, there is substantial variability across studies. Future directions include the need for studies of prevalence, prevention and treatment research, and investigations of neurobiological and genetic variables.

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“…Less is known about eating disturbances and BD in Asian American women because there are mixed findings about the differences between Asian American women and European American women (George & Franko, 2010). However, there seem to be more similarities than differences.…”

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

“…(2014) con niños brasileños (6) reportó una insatisfacción corporal del 71,4%. Esta diferencia puede deberse a las variaciones culturales entre los países comparados, ya que si bien está establecido que las patologías alimentarias y los problemas asociados a la imagen corporal afectan a todos los grupos raciales y étnicos (34), se podrían generar diferencias relacionadas al contexto socioeducativo en el que se desenvuelven los niños, debido a que las provocaciones verbales de bullying acerca del peso pueden ser un predictor de insatisfacción corporal (35). Mikolajczyk y cols.…”

Sociodemographic correlates of BMI categories among female University students of Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University

“…Cultural ideals influence how people assess their body image and body weight (Swami, Fredrick, Aavik, Alcalay, Allik, & Anderson 2010;Duda, Jumah, Hill, Seffah, Biritwum, 2007). A major issue associated with overweight and obesity is the perception of body size in different cultural settings (George & Franko 2010;Wardle, Haase, & Steptoe, 2006). It is also confirmed by Ross (1994) that the individuals' opinions of themselves are a reflection of the way that others perceive them.…”

“…A major issue associated with overweight and obesity is the perception of body size in different cultural settings (George et al, 2010;Wardle, et al 2006). Our study used a questionnaire of body images to estimate self-reported body size and a scale to measure the BMI.…”