Obesity and body dissatisfaction amongst adolescents
Keywords:
adolescent, nutritional status, body image, obesityAbstract
Objective
This study aimed at evaluating the relationship between overweight/obesity and body dissatisfaction among adolescents in a private school in Santo André, São Paulo, Brazil.
Methods
For the assessment of overweight/obesity, the body mass index for age and gender was used and for the body dissatisfaction evaluation, the body parts satisfaction scale was applied.
Results
One hundred and forty-seven adolescents were studied (35.40% males and 64.60% females). It was shown that 44.23% of the males and 18.93% of the females were overweight/obese, 1.92% of the males and 3.16% of the females were underweight and the others were normal. A statistically significant association between body dissatisfaction and overweight/obesity was found for the stomach, waist and body weight in boys and the hair, buttocks, hips, thighs, legs, stomach, shoulder/back, muscle strength, body weight and overall appearance in girls.
Conclusion
Girls who were overweight/obese were more dissatisfied with a greater number of body areas than boys. It was recommended that middle and fundamental level schools develop prophylactic activities aimed at stimulating consciousness of personal and social perception in the adolescent and of the pressures to which he is submitted
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