Body Image and Adolescents

Body image is the dynamic perception of one’s body – how it looks, feels, and moves. It is shaped by perception, emotions, physical sensations, and is not static, but can change in relation to mood, physical experience, and environment. Because adolescents experience significant physical changes in their bodies during puberty, they are likely to experience highly dynamic perceptions of body image. Body image is influenced strongly by self-esteem and self-evaluation, more so than by external evaluation by others. It can, however, be powerfully influenced and affected by cultural messages and societal standards of appearance and attractiveness. Given the overwhelming prevalence of thin and lean female images and strong and lean male images common to all westernized societies, body image concerns have become widespread among adolescents. • 50-88 % of adolescent girls feel negatively about their body shape or size.1,2 • 49 % of teenage girls say they know someone with an eating disorder.1 • Only 33 % of girls say they are at the “right weight for their body”, while 58 % want to lose weight. Just 9 % want to gain weight.3 • Females are much more likely than males to think their current size is too large (66 % vs. 21%).4 • Over one-third of males think their current size is too small, while only 10 % of women conside