Evaluation of adolescent body satisfaction and associated eating disorder pathology in two communities

Abstract

Objective: As Eastern European countries adopt Anglo-American ideals of body size, it can be predicted that body dissatisfaction (a core feature of the eating disorders) will be similar to that observed in western cultures. The objective of the present investigation is to compare adolescent males and females in urban schools of two countries (Scotland and Yugoslavia) as part of an ongoing longitudinal study of BMI, body satisfaction, well-being and eating pathology. Method: 625 adolescents had their BMI recorded and completed a series of questionnaires measuring body satisfaction, depression, anxiety and eating pathology. Results: Significant differences emerged as a function of gender in both countries and as a function of country. Girls reported significantly higher levels of body dissatisfaction than boys and scored higher on measures of restrained eating. However, eating pathology, depression and anxiety were higher in the Scottish cohort in general, and in the Scottish girls in particular. Similarly, selfesteem was lower in the Scottish cohort and was particularly low in the girls. Discussion: Overall, body dissatisfaction appears to be a normative experience despite normal weight status for girls in both countries. However, risk factors for developing eating disorders appear higher in the western cohort. Results from the longitudinal assessments will highlight whether this trend is maintained over time.

Assessment of the Body Shape Concern: A Challenge

“…Assim, na literatura, as abordagens sobre a imagem corporal não são homogéneas sendo que, por vezes, cada aspeto teórico é considerado isoladamente como parte da imagem corporal (Akdemir et al, 2012;Baranowksi et al, 2003;Kakeshita & Almeida, 2006;Najam & Ashfaq, 2012). Outras vezes, esses componentes são tratados, equivocadamente, como sinónimo de imagem corporal (Costa & Vasconcelos, 2010;Miranda, Filgueiras, Neves, Teixeira, & Ferreira, 2012).…”

Body image and depressive symptoms in 13‐year‐old adolescents

“…Until recently, most research on body image in adolescents has focused on young women's concerns with body fat. For young women the presence of elevated body fat is viewed as a deviation from the thin ideal body type and so they are more likely to judge themselves as fat despite they may be normal weight or even underweight, reporting body image dissatisfaction (8, 12,36,(54)(55)(56)(57)(58).…”

“…Some limitations of the use of the Figure Rating Scale is that they do not distinguish between fat deposition and increased muscle mass as the cause of an increase in body size. If a person is dissatisfied and would like to be more muscular, it may be apparent that the larger figures look "fatter" as opposed to muscular, whereas the slimmer silhouettes may actually be perceived as being more toned, derived to the inability of these silhouette's to make a muscle/fat distinction (43,58). Other potential problem is that the sizes and dimensions reflected by the figures may not match of individual clients, leading individuals to say "none of these shapes look like me" (24).…”

“…Until recently, most research on body image in adolescents has focused on young women's concerns with body fat. For young women the presence of elevated body fat is viewed as a deviation from the thin ideal body type and so they are more likely to judge themselves as fat despite they may be normal weight or even underweight, reporting body image dissatisfaction (8, 12,36,(54)(55)(56)(57)(58).A study in adolescent girls identified perceived pressure to be thin as the most potent predictor of body dissatisfaction onset, and that, it was a more powerful predictor of body dissatisfaction onset than was actual body mass (9). This implies that social pressure to be thin might play a larger role in fostering body dissatisfaction than physical deviation from the culturally defined thin ideal (9).…”

Gender Differences in Body Image Dissatisfaction and Eating Disorder among Nepalese Adolescents: a Paradigm Shift from Fatness to Thinness

“…Traditionally, the problem of body dissatisfaction and eating disorders was thought to be the problem of Western societies [6]. However, several studies [7][8][9] have clearly demonstrated that body dissatisfaction and disordered eating is leading to serious psychological and nutritional consequences in Asia.…”