Body dissatisfaction in female adolescents: TV exposure and paternal comments as important correlates

Background: Body image distortion represents a central symptom in eating disorders like anorexia nervosa (American Psychiatric Association DSM-IV-TR). Body dissatisfaction plays a central role in the etiology of body image distortion. As eating disorders are considered to begin in adolescence – particular prevalent in girls – searching for correlates of even moderate forms of body dissatisfaction enables to identify risk groups and to initiate early prevention programs. The present study aimed at assessing the extent and the pattern of body dissatisfaction within female adolescents. Additionally, it identified potential correlates of body dissatisfaction.

Data and methods: Our study is part of the nationwide “German Young Olympic Athletes” Lifestyle and Health Management Study (GOAL study)”, funded by the Federal Institute of Sport Science (BISp), Bonn, Germany for the years 2009 to 2013. From April 1 to May 15, 2011 a sample of 144 girls aged between 14 and 17 years was recruited in 13 classes within four schools in the Rhine-Neckar metropolitan area in the South of Germany. Using an online survey and an integrated 3D-avatar software, participants were asked to estimate their actual body image, their aspired body image (individual ideal) and the perceived ideal body image of parents and of the best female friend. The 3D-avatar software displayed a three dimensional and colored model of a woman's body covering a BMI from 11.6 to 30.4 with 500 shades. The metric difference δ between the self-ratings was defined as the primary outcome.

Results: Participants estimated their actual BMI to be 18.82 (SD=3.01). The individual ideal was considerably thinner with a BMI score of 16.84 (SD=2.51, p<.001). Given a girl of 1.65m height and 55kg weight, this corresponds to a difference in weight of about 5.5kg. Moreover, girls stated that their parents (17.21 SD=3.34) and their best female friend (17.23 SD=2.78) had an ideal body image which was by 1.6 BMI units thinner than the actual BMI. By including the bivariate significant variables in BMI-adjusted regression models, the engagement in aesthetic sports (B=-1.45 [-2.80-(-0.11)] ref.: no physical activity p=.035) and the time spent on watching TV (>2.5h TV consumption: B=+2.47 [0.63–4.32] ref.: no TV consumption p=.009) represented the most meaningful correlates of body dissatisfaction. Girls most frequently referred to negative comments by mother (33%) and father (22%, including 14% with comments by both parents). By adjusting for the anthropometric BMI within linear regression analyses, maternal (B=+1.48p=.003) as well as paternal (B=+1.43p=.012) negative comments were significantly associated with body dissatisfaction.

Discussion: The participating girls would like to be 1.97 BMI units thinner. The social ideal of beauty became over time constantly thinner and has reached a level which is unattainable for the average population. In contrast to this, the average weight of girls and women increased significantly in developed countries. We expect, that this discrepancy between ideal and reality will continue to grow in the future. This underlines the high relevance of this topic for social and preventive medicine.

References:

Andrist, L. C. (2003). Media images, body dissatisfaction, and disordered eating in adolescent women. MCN Am J Matern Child Nurs, 28(2), 119–123.

Hoffman H, K. F., Glaub J, von Wietersheim J, Traue HC. (2008). Erfassung der subjektiven Körperwahrnehm