Investigated relationship of body image perception and weight status to recent change in weight status of adolescent females. Nonobese, overweight, and obese girls (N=90) aged 13 through 17 completed Body-Cathexis Scale and self-report recent change in weight status and demographic questionnaire. Results revealed significant positive correlation…

Examined eating concerns on two college campuses with a Christian world view and two nonsectarian campuses. Found that eating concerns were significantly more frequent among women than men and that relative incidence of overweight in four sections of the country appeared more related to level of concern on each campus than presence or absence of…

Examined the relationship between body mass index (BMI) of adolescents and their perceived-weight status and self-concept. Results based on 17,318 females and 15,878 males indicate that substantial numbers of teenage females perceive themselves as overweight when BMI values suggest they are not. Males reported reasonably accurate weight…

Described is a group weight control project with severely obese adolescent girls in a medical setting. Behavior modification principles were utilized with peer group interaction. Significant others had separate group meetings. Small amounts of weight loss were recorded. Dropouts continued to have a net gain. (Author/KC)

Investigates the interplay of puberty, gender, weight, and age in regard to body image and disordered eating behaviors and attitudes in a sample of early adolescents. Results reveal that after menarche, females had increased personal expectations and were dissatisfied with weight/shape changes. Young males at puberty desired to build up their…

Examines the effects and interactions of gender, pubertal status, and body weight on the self-concept of young adolescent Australian students. The mean self-concept score was significantly related to students' standard body weight, and there was an interaction between gender and puberty, with postpubertal males having the highest and…

Examined cheerleaders' desire for thinness in relationship to disordered eating and weight control behaviors. A Desire for Thinness Scale and selected scales from three eating disorder instruments were administered to 751 high school cheerleaders. Cheerleaders who expressed a strong desire for thinness had significantly higher scores on seven of…

Discussed the problems girls have in disengaging themselves from their parents as psychological dependency gives way to individual growth and, sometimes, to overeating. (RK)

Examines the hypothesis that early adolescent girls (N=175) with more negative weight-related body images would report higher levels of depressive symptoms. Results indicate that the more subjective and personal measures of weight-related body image discontent (weight dissatisfaction and weight concerns) were associated with increased depressive…

Investigates risk factors in Slovenian high school students (N=4,590) and assesses gender differences in the frequency of their occurrence. Results show that female levels of depression were higher and self-esteem levels were lower when compared to their male counterparts. (MKA)

Investigated the nature of body image and body change strategies, as well as sociocultural influences on these variables, among a group of 1,266 adolescents. Findings indicated females were less satisfied with their bodies and were more likely to adopt strategies to lose weight, whereas males were likely to adopt strategies to increase weight and…

Examined whether body mass index (BMI) and perception of a body weight problem predict level of self esteem and depression in Korean female adolescents. Results showed that perception of a weight problem, but not BMI, contributed significantly to the prediction of level of self esteem and depression. (BF)

Compared self-concept of obese (N=28) and nonobese (N=58) female students in a junior nursing class. Found that obese students and students who considered themselves to be obese had lower self-esteem than did nonobese students. Revealed no relationships with regard to age of onset of obesity, and no significant relationships between social class…

Studied adolescent girls who were eating-disordered (N=41), athletes (N=87), or students (N=120) to determine their menstrual, dieting, and exercise patterns and their self-images. Found that eating-disordered subjects had extremely low scores on emotional tone and social relationships, suggesting that these dimensions may distinguish the…

Compares actual and preferred weights of dieters and nondieters and examines the relationship of increasing weight to preferred weight and the decision to diet in high school students. Most dieters studied were not overweight. Some were even underweight. Documents the need for effective nutrition and exercise programs to help students accept and…