Body mass index and self-reported body image in German adolescents
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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Open Access
Body mass index and self-reported body image in German adolescents Lea Sarrar1,2* , Marie Vilalta1, Nora Schneider3 and Christoph U. Correll3,4,5
Abstract Background: Despite knowledge about eating disorder symptoms in children and adolescents in the general population, relatively little is known about self-reported and sex-specific eating-disorder-related psychopathology, as well as its specific correlates. Methods: 880 German school-attending adolescents (15.4 ± 2.2 years) and 30 female patients with AN (16.2 ± 1.6 years) were studied. All participants completed the Eating Disorder Inventory-2 and a Body Image Questionnaire. Results: There were more overweight males than females (15.2% vs 10.1%, p < 0.001), but more females with underweight than males (6.2% vs. 2.5%, p < .001). Negative body evaluations (p < .001) and dissatisfaction (p < .001) were significantly more frequent in females. Compared to underweight female patients with AN, underweight school-attending females had less negative body evaluations (p < .001) and lower scores on 5 of the 11 EDI-2 subscales (p < .001; p < .05). Conclusions: Males were more overweight than females, females more underweight. Body image was more important to female than to male youth, yet without reaching pathological values when compared to female patients with AN. Complex emotional and cognitive challenges seem to be a representative factor for eating pathology rather than simply being underweight. These aspects may be relevant for the shift from a thinnessrelated focus in girls in the general population to the development of an eating disorder. Keywords: Body mass index, Body image, Adolescents, Underweight, Overweight
Plain English summary Still too little is known about eating disorder-related psychopathology and its correlates in non-clinical samples, especially with regard to self-report and sex-related differences. Therefore, 880 German school-attending adolescents and 30 female patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) were observed. Males were more overweight than females, females more underweight. Body image was more important to female than to male youth, yet without reaching pathological values. Personality characteristics * Correspondence: [email protected] 1 Department of Psychology, Medical School Berlin, Germany, Rüdesheimer Straße 50, 14197 Berlin, Germany 2 Department of Audiology and Phoniatrics, Charité University Medicine Berlin, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany Full list of author information is available at the end of the article
seem to be maintenance factors in eating disorder pathology, rather than solely being underweight. These aspects may be relevant for the shift from a thinness-related focus in girls in the general population to the development of an eating disorder.
Background Disturbed eating behaviours have become a serious concern among adolescents [1]. Severe weight concerns, disordered eating symptoms, and body shape perception disturbances have been reported across cultures [2,
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