Perception of body image and tendencies of eating behaviour among adolescents

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate attitude to body image and compare sex and body mass index differences in body perception among schoolchildren of 7-10 grades in Lithuania. Method: Data was obtained from 3248 adolescents (mean age = 14.83 (SD = 1.28), 49.5% male) who fully completed self-report questionnaires. Participants were grouped and subsequently analyzed according to their body mass index and sex. Results: Tendencies among males and females were analyzed. Overall 39.6% of the female and 11.8% of male adolescents wanted a thinner body. More females than males replied that they have tried dieting, wished to become thinner, were afraid of becoming fat or even of gaining a small amount of weight and felt not able to control their eating. However, more males answered exercising to control weight, consuming large amounts of food at once and inducing vomiting after meal. Discussion: Findings suggest the importance of addressing aspects of negative body image, associated with different BMI categories, gender differences and disordered eating behavior in clinical settings and public health policies. Perception