The present study examines whether low body image satisfaction in school-aged children predicts decreasing academic engagement and the degree to which risk factors such as emotional problems, peer rejection, and low physical activity exacerbate this association. The participants (ages 8-10) were 353 children (177 boys, 176 girls) from a public school required to represent the state of Florida in terms of ethnicity and family income. Children completed self-reports of body image satisfaction, academic engagement, physical activity, and emotional problems at two time points (in the fall and the winter of the same academic year). Peer rejection was assessed through peer nominations. Low levels of body image satisfaction predicted greater subsequent declines in academic engagement, an association that was particularly strong for children with emotional problems and for children rejected by peers. The findings have practical implications, suggesting that low body image satisfaction during childhood should be added to the list of risk factors that predict early declining engagement in school.