Adolescent Eating Disorders and Body Dissatisfaction

The Prevention Researcher, Volume 14, Number 3, 2007, Item# 143

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Our society is obsessed with how we look. Talk about weight-loss and how to shape our bodies is a cultural pastime. This quest for a "perfect" body has been transmitted to our youth. Indeed, almost half of all adolescent girls and a quarter of adolescent boys report significant distress about their size and shape. With current national attention on childhood obesity, it is important to understand the relationship between healthy eating, body dissatisfaction, and eating disorders so that we don't inadvertently encourage unhealthy weight loss behaviors as we try to address the issue of obesity.

The September 2007 issue of The Prevention Researcher examines eating disorders and body dissatisfaction for both adolescent boys and girls. This issue begins with a look at body dissatisfaction, which is a precursor to unhealthy weight control and body-altering behaviors. It continues with a discussion about two separate models which explore the continuum between healthy behaviors and unhealthy eating. These two frameworks work together to provide an understanding of how unhealthy weight control behaviors, like dieting, can lead to harmful consequences.

Many people who work with youth are not familiar with the signs and symptoms of eating disorders and muscularity problems (like steroid use). This issue explores these signs and symptoms, and then discusses how to talk with youth you might suspect of having a problem. Finally, there may be times when prevention programs need to be put in place. Instead of providing different programs for eating disorders and obesity prevention, it may be possible to provide one program which prevents a broad range of eating problems. The final article in this issue advocates for this approach and provides preliminary details of current research in this area.

View the Table of Contents

Articles in this issue:

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Addressing the Spectrum of Adolescent Weight-Related Problems: Engaging Parents and Communities

By Dianne Neumark-Sztainer, Ph.D.

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Body Dissatisfaction in Adolescent Females and Males: Risk and Resilience

By Katherine Presnell, Ph.D., Sarah Kate Bearman, Ph.D., and Mary Clare Madeley, B.A.

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Integrating Eating Disorder and Obesity Prevention Programs for Adolescents

By Heather Shaw, Ph.D., Janet Ng, B.A., and Eric Stice, Ph.D.

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Preventing a Continuum of Disordered Eating: Going Beyond the Individual

By Shelly Russell-Mayhew, Ph.D.

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Recognizing and Preventing Adolescent Eating Disorders and Muscularity Problems

By Linda Smolak, Ph.D., and Michael P. Levine, Ph.D.

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