Children Body Dissatisfaction Found in 8% of 10-year-olds

by Scott Wu | August 28, 2009 at 03:47 pm

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Children of age as young as 10 are feeling pressure for their body weight and shape. A study conducted by Harvard University and the University of Alberta surveyed 4,254 Canadian schoolchildren, and found 7% of girls and nearly 8% of boys were dissatisfied with their body looks.

Researchers measured the height and weight of 10-11 year-old children and asked them to rate the statement "I like the way I look."

Among the normal, overweight, and obese girls, those who give themselves poor satisfaction ratings were 5.7%, 10.4%, and 13.1% respectively.

Among boys, the percentage were 7.6%, 8.4%, and 8.1% respectively.

Girls whose parents have low educational background and living in rural areas were more likely to be dissatisfied with their body. This suggests appearance-related pressures are higher in rural areas, or maybe urban girls benefit from existing programs that protect them from such pressure.

According to the findings girls are happiest when thin and boys when they are neither too thin or too fat. Professor Bryn Austin said

"There is a well-established relationship between poor body satisfaction and increased risk of disordered weight control behaviors, including vomiting, fasting, and use of laxatives and diet pills for weight control."

An important feature of the findings is the fact that school based interventions are known to be successful in shaping more positive attitudes and understanding of different body shapes.

And from the original study:

Results

We observed a linear increase in poor body satisfaction with increasing BMI in girls. Among boys, however, we found a U-shape association where boys with low BMI and those with high BMI reported higher levels of poor body satisfaction. We also found that poor body satisfaction was more prevalent among girls whose parents had lower educational attainment and among those who reside in rural areas.

Conclusions

Insight into the unique relationships between body satisfaction and BMI experienced by prepubescent children, males, and populations diverse in parental education and geographic location may help to inform public health initiatives designed to improve weight-related behaviors and reduce overweight in children.