Submit to Children Review for Children Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser

Body Image, Weight Pressure and Disordered Eating Behaviors among Children and Adolescents

Print Special Issue Flyer
Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Published Papers

A special issue of Children (ISSN 2227-9067). This special issue belongs to the section "Global and Public Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2022) | Viewed by 22953

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Tonia Vassilakou

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Department of Public Health Policy, School of Public Health, University of West Attica, 11521 Athens, Greece
Interests: nutritional knowledge and behavior of children and adolescents; childhood obesity; lifestyle medicine; diet; exercise; sleep; dietary supplements; smoking cessation; medical nutrition therapy; diabetes; epilepsy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Theodoros N. Sergentanis

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Department of Public Health Policy, School of Public Health, University of West Attica (UNIWA), 11521 Athens, Greece
Interests: cancer epidemiology; meta-analysis systematic reviews; research methodology; biostatistics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Adolescence is a critical period for body image development. Children and adolescents receive a plethora of messages, mainly by media, family, and peers, about the perceived body ideal, which emphasizes body thinness. The pressures to adopt to socially acceptable body ideals explain the associations between weight status and body image and lead to an increased body image dissatisfaction, mainly among teenage girls. Body image is a multidimensional concept, which includes perceptions, thoughts, feelings, and actions toward a person’s body. Evidence indicates that unhealthy body image is associated with obesity and physical inactivity. Furthermore, negative body image among adolescents is linked to increased pressure for thinness and desirable body shape, playing a crucial role in the development of disordered eating behaviors. More specifically, body dissatisfaction and weight pressure may lead adolescents to engage in various weight-loss methods, such as short-term restrictive diets, chronic energy or nutrient restriction, fasting, passive or active dehydration, or purging, combined with or without excessive training. Unhealthy eating behaviors may range between subclinical disordered eating and the presence of clinical eating disorders, where adolescents struggle with extreme dieting, a distorted body image, weight fluctuations, and abnormal eating behaviors.

Prof. Dr. Tonia Vassilakou
Dr. Theodoros N. Sergentanis
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Children is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

body image
body weight
weight pressure
disordered eating
eating disorders
adolescents

Published Papers (11 papers)

Download All Papers

Research

Jump to: Review

13 pages, 300 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Body Composition, Eating Habits, and Disordered Eating Behaviors among Adolescent Classical Ballet Dancers and Controls

by Panagiota Chaikali, Ioanna Kontele, Maria G. Grammatikopoulou, Eleftheria Oikonomou, Theodoros N. Sergentanis and Tonia Vassilakou

Children 2023, 10(2), 379; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/children10020379 - 15 Feb 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3292

Abstract

Adolescent classical ballet dancers are nutritionally vulnerable, as they try to retain a lean body shape during a life period of high nutritional requirements due to rapid growth. Studies conducted on adult dancers have indicated a high risk for the development of disordered eating behaviors (DEBs), but research on adolescent dancers remains scarce. The aim of the present case-control study was to compare the body composition, dietary habits, and DEBs of female adolescent classical ballet dancers and their non-dancer same-sex peers. Self-reported questionnaires, namely the Eating Attitudes Test-26 (EAT-26) and a 19-item Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ), were used for the assessment of habitual diet and DEBs. The assessment of body composition included the measurements of body weight, height, body circumference, and skinfolds and bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). The results indicate that the dancers were leaner than the controls, with lower weight, BMIs, and hip and arm circumferences, leaner skinfolds, and less fat mass. No differences were observed between the two groups regarding eating habits and the EAT-26 scores, but almost 1 out of 4 (23.3%) participants scored ≥ 20, indicative of DEBs. Participants with an EAT-26 score ≥ 20 had significantly higher body weight, BMIs, body circumferences, fat mass, and fat-free mass than those with a score < 20. Adolescents must be educated on nutrition and healthy methods to control body weight through evidence-based information and programs, and whenever appropriate, also through individual counseling by the appropriate health professionals. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Body Image, Weight Pressure and Disordered Eating Behaviors among Children and Adolescents)

12 pages, 259 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Needs of School Professionals for Eating Disorder Prevention in Australian Schools: A Mixed-Methods Survey

by Kirrilly M. Pursey, Melissa Hart, Alexis Hure, Hei Man Cheung, Liting Ong, Tracy L. Burrows and Zali Yager

Children 2022, 9(12), 1979; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/children9121979 - 16 Dec 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1627

Abstract

(1) Background: School professionals such as teachers and counsellors are uniquely positioned to facilitate discussion around disordered eating and body image; however, little is known about the needs of school professionals with respect to eating disorder prevention. This study aimed to explore the needs and perceptions of Australian school professionals regarding eating disorder prevention. (2) Methods: School professionals were recruited to a mixed-methods online cross-sectional survey. The survey assessed demographics and perceived needs and attitudes to eating disorder prevention. (3) Results: Most participants (92%) were willing to participate in eating disorder prevention; however, only 61% reported good knowledge and 41% reported feeling confident in implementing eating disorder prevention. Those who had received training in eating disorders (24%) reported higher confidence (p = 0.02) and knowledge (p = 0.04). Only 66% of respondents reported that all teachers should be involved in eating disorder prevention while barriers including workload, knowledge, and resources were commonly highlighted. Fewer respondents working in primary school settings reported the need for prevention approaches (p = 0.046). (4) Conclusions: Despite a willingness to be involved in the prevention of eating disorders, there are inconsistencies in attitudes regarding the role of school professionals in eating disorder prevention. The findings of this study reinforce that understanding professional roles, school settings, and personal attitudes is critical in the development of more efficacious school professional training and prevention interventions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Body Image, Weight Pressure and Disordered Eating Behaviors among Children and Adolescents)

10 pages, 256 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Factors Affecting Body Image Distortion in Adolescents

by Eun-Ha Jung and Mi-Kyoung Jun

Children 2022, 9(12), 1944; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/children9121944 - 11 Dec 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1400

Abstract

Body image distortion is an important problem in physical and psychological health in adolescents. This study examined the factors affecting body image distortion in Korean adolescents. A Rao–Scott χ² test and a complex samples logistic regression was conducted using the statistics from the 17th (2021) Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey. The study sample included 41,124 middle and high school students. There was a difference in the presence or absence of body image distortion according to the subject’s gender, school grade, school achievement, and economic status (p < 0.001). Approximately 49.5% of subjects with body image distortion had tried to lose weight, but there were few cases where they attempted to lose weight through physical activities, such as moderate physical activity (22.8%), vigorous physical activity (23.3%), and muscle physical activity (23.9%) (p < 0.001). The group with body image distortion was 1.77 times more likely to sit for more than four hours a day on average (p < 0.001). To prevent various factors influencing the distortion of the adolescent’s body image, the development of a systematic intervention program for forming no distortion of adolescents’ body image is required. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Body Image, Weight Pressure and Disordered Eating Behaviors among Children and Adolescents)

13 pages, 764 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Weight-Teasing and Eating Disorders—A Comparative Study in Adolescent and Adult Samples

by Laura O. Gallardo, J. Javier Plumed-Domingo and Luis Rojo-Moreno

Children 2022, 9(11), 1655; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/children9111655 - 29 Oct 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1394

Abstract

Disordered eating, unhealthy weight-control behaviours and body dissatisfaction are associated with diminished mental health. A key aspect that has been identified for the development of disordered eating behaviours and body dissatisfaction is to be teased. Additionally, the literature suggests that weight may affect the relationship between weight-teasing and disordered eating and body dissatisfaction, although this pattern is unclear. This study presents two cross-sectional studies with an adult and an adolescent sample. The adolescent sample comprised 15,224 participants, and the adult sample comprised 321 participants, all from Spain. Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted. Aims: to assess the relations among disordered eating, body dissatisfaction, weight, and weight-teasing among adolescents and adults; and to examine whether weight-teasing, weight, age, and gender predict disordered eating and body dissatisfaction in adults and adolescents. The results showed that adolescent girls presented greater effects, and all interactions were significant between weight-teasing and eating disorders. Adults also showed greater effects for women, and only eating disorder interactions were significant. Weight-control behaviours did not show any relationship with weight-teasing. Conclusion: Different approaches may be used in the prevention of eating disorders. Our results show that weight-teasing affects adults differently from adolescents. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Body Image, Weight Pressure and Disordered Eating Behaviors among Children and Adolescents)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

10 pages, 321 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Associations between Body Image and Self-Perceived Physical Fitness in Future Spanish Teachers

by Jorge Rojo-Ramos, Santiago Gómez-Paniagua, Jorge Carlos-Vivas, Sabina Barrios-Fernandez, Alejandro Vega-Muñoz, Carlos Mañanas-Iglesias, Nicolás Contreras-Barraza and José Carmelo Adsuar

Children 2022, 9(6), 811; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/children9060811 - 31 May 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2028

Abstract

Body image is a complex construct related to how each person perceives their own body and how they value it. Physical fitness and physical activity are factors that can influence the perception of a better or worse body image. This study aimed to identify the potential associations between body image and physical fitness self-perception in future Spanish teachers, analysing possible sex-related differences. A total of 278 Spanish university students answered the Multidimensional Body Self Relations Questionnaire and the International Fitness Scale, having an average age of 22 years, of which 40% were men and 60% were women. Nonparametric techniques (Spearman’s Rho test) were used as the data did not fit normality. The findings showed associations between body image and perceived physical fitness, confirming differences between the sexes. Correlations were found between the first three dimensions of the Multidimensional Body Self Relations and the International Fitness Scale, with sex-related differences being more significant in women than in men, and between the physical abilities self-assessed by the International Fitness Scale (except flexibility) and the dimensions of the Multidimensional Body Self Relations (except Dimension 4). Since body image influences well-being and conditions the time spent exercising, public health organisations and universities should design supports to improve master students’ body image through physical activity programmes, education and sex-specific individualised attention. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Body Image, Weight Pressure and Disordered Eating Behaviors among Children and Adolescents)

15 pages, 643 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Weight Pressures and Eating Disorder Symptoms among Adolescent Female Gymnasts of Different Performance Levels in Greece

by Ioanna Kontele, Tonia Vassilakou and Olyvia Donti

Children 2022, 9(2), 254; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/children9020254 - 14 Feb 2022

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 4815

Abstract

This study examined the weight pressures within the gymnastics environment and explored associations between these pressures and eating disorder (ED) symptoms in adolescent female gymnasts. One hundred and forty-seven competitive gymnasts and 122 recreational-level gymnasts (11–17 years old) completed the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26), the Weight-Pressures in Sport-Females (WPS-F), the Social Desirability Scale (SDS) and provided information on their training. It was found that 16.3% of competitive gymnasts and 7.4% of non-competitive gymnasts scored ≥20 in EAT-26, indicating disordered eating behavior. Competitive gymnasts scored higher than non-competitive in the total score of EAT-26 (p = 0.027), as well as in the total score of WPS-F, the sport and coaches weight pressures sub-scale and the appearance and performance weight pressures sub-scale (p < 0.001). Multiple regression analyses indicated that sport and coaches weight pressures, appearance and performance weight pressures and body mass index accounted for 30.3% of the variance of EAT-26 in competitive gymnasts, while the appearance and performance weight pressures sub-scale accounted for 16.3% of the variance of EAT-26 in non-competitive gymnasts. Sport and coaches weight pressures are associated with ED in competitive gymnasts, while body appearance and performance demands correlate with ED in female gymnasts irrespective of competitive level. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Body Image, Weight Pressure and Disordered Eating Behaviors among Children and Adolescents)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

13 pages, 1129 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Gender and Cultural Differences in the Relationships between Self-Esteem Contingency, Body Talk, and Body Esteem

by Jounghwa Choi, Yoojin Chung, Hye Eun Lee and Michael Prieler

Children 2021, 8(11), 1009; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/children8111009 - 04 Nov 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2099

Abstract

This study analyzed the positive and negative body talk of male and female adolescents cross-culturally with an emphasis on the role of appearance-contingent and others’ approval-contingent self-worth. A cross-national survey in Austria, Belgium, Spain, and South Korea among 12- to 16-year-olds (982 female and 993 male) found that (1) positive body talk was positively related and negative body talk was negatively related to body esteem; (2) appearance contingency was positively related to negative body talk; (3) appearance contingency increased positive body talk among girls (except Korean girls); and (4) contingency on other’s approval increased positive body talk among boys in all four countries. Overall, gender differences were more prominent than cultural differences and positive body talk was instrumental in promoting adolescents’ body esteem. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Body Image, Weight Pressure and Disordered Eating Behaviors among Children and Adolescents)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

11 pages, 288 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Composition and Factorial Invariance for the Assessment of Body Image Dissatisfaction Questionnaire in Mexican Adolescents

by Raúl Josué Nájera-Longoria, José René Blanco, Carolina Jiménez-Lira, Susana Ivonne Aguirre, Humberto Blanco, Miguel Conchas-Ramírez, Yunuen Socorro Rangel-Ledezma and Perla Jannet Jurado-García

Children 2021, 8(9), 789; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/children8090789 - 09 Sep 2021

Viewed by 1429

Abstract

Body image is a mental representation that a person has, which could become a body dissatisfaction due to the pressure exerted by the culture, affecting several life stages specially in adolescents. The aim of this study was to analyze the psychometric properties and factorial invariance of the questionnaire to assess body image dissatisfaction. The sample consisted of 552 Mexican teenagers, 259 female, and 293 male, with a mean age of 12.91 ± 0.96 years. Confirmatory Factor Analyses show that a five-factor structure is viable and adequate. The five-factor structure (perceptual, emotional distress, behavioral, proposal to change, and fear of gaining weight) show adequate fit indices and validity, even though the obtained model does not completely correspond to that proposed by the authors of the scale, it continues to endorse the multifactorial component of body dissatisfaction. On the other hand, the factorial structure, the factor loadings, and the intercepts are considered invariant in both populations; however, there are differences between the populations for the means of the perceptual, emotional distress, and fear of gaining weight factors. This study serves as a premise for future research on the study of instruments for measuring body image in populations with different personal and cultural factors. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Body Image, Weight Pressure and Disordered Eating Behaviors among Children and Adolescents)

Review

Jump to: Research

15 pages, 356 KiB

Open AccessReview

Anorexia Nervosa in Juvenile Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE): A Causality Dilemma

by Maria G. Grammatikopoulou, Vasiliki Syrmou, Maria-Lydia Lioliopoulou, Konstantinos Gkiouras, Theodora Simopoulou, Christina G. Katsiari, Tonia Vassilakou and Dimitrios P. Bogdanos

Children 2023, 10(4), 697; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/children10040697 - 07 Apr 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1425

Abstract

Juvenile-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (jSLE) is an autoimmune disorder with multifaceted clinical findings in different organ systems. Neuropsychiatric manifestations affect more than half of SLE patients, and there is increasing evidence that anorexia nervosa (AN), a feeding and eating disorder (FED) characterized by significantly reduced energy intake, is among them. Herein, a review of the literature on the potential association between jSLE and AN was performed. Reported clinical cases were identified, and putative pathophysiological mechanisms were sought that could potentially explain the observed relationship between these two pathological entities. Four reports of isolated cases and a case series including seven patients were identified. In this limited patient pool, the diagnosis of AN preceded that of SLE in the majority of cases, whereas in all cases both entities were diagnosed within a time span of two years. Many explanations for the observed relationships have been proposed. AN has been associated with the stress of chronic disease diagnosis; on the other hand, the chronic inflammation associated with AN may contribute to the development/appearance of SLE. Adverse childhood experiences, concentrations of leptin, shared autoantibodies, and genetic traits appear to be important factors in this well-established interplay. In essence, it seems important to increase clinician awareness of the concomitant development of AN and SLE and invite further research on the subject. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Body Image, Weight Pressure and Disordered Eating Behaviors among Children and Adolescents)

18 pages, 317 KiB

Open AccessReview

Food Advertisement and Dietary Choices in Adolescents: An Overview of Recent Studies

by Anastasia Tsochantaridou, Theodoros N. Sergentanis, Maria G. Grammatikopoulou, Kyriakoula Merakou, Tonia Vassilakou and Eleni Kornarou

Children 2023, 10(3), 442; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/children10030442 - 24 Feb 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 5204

Abstract

Adolescents are exposed to food marketing through many routes, including television, movies, videos, print media, online games, and social media. The interplay between exposure to unhealthy food advertisements and food choices by adolescents is a field of special interest given the ongoing evolution of social media trends and marketing strategies. The purpose of this review was to synthesize the scientific findings in the last five years (2017–2022) regarding the possible influence of nutrition-related advertisements through television, social media, or video games on the choice and consumption of unhealthy foods and drinks in adolescents. Nineteen studies were included in this review. Adolescents exposed to unhealthy food and beverage advertising showed high desire and intention to consume the advertised foods, as evidenced by the majority of included studies. The effects of advertisements are reinforced by peer pressure and influencers and interact with socioeconomic, biological, and environmental factors. Food marketing represents part of the obesogenic environment of the present time. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Body Image, Weight Pressure and Disordered Eating Behaviors among Children and Adolescents)

14 pages, 305 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceReview

Orthorexia Nervosa in Adolescents and Young Adults: A Literature Review

by Maria Gkiouleka, Christina Stavraki, Theodoros N. Sergentanis and Tonia Vassilakou

Children 2022, 9(3), 365; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/children9030365 - 04 Mar 2022

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 6381

Abstract

Adolescents are a nutritionally vulnerable population; eating disorders are more common among adolescents and young adults. Orthorexia nervosa (ON) is a non-formally recognized condition characterized by an obsessive preoccupation with eating healthy and “pure” foods; the quality and not the quantity of food is pivotal in ON. ON is a complex entity which can be associated with severe diet restrictions, a negative impact on social relationships, and with physical and mental health conditions, including obsessive–compulsive disorder. In light of this, a literature review regarding the background, diagnosis, features, risk factors, interplay with the social media, and management of ON is presented in this article, with a focus on adolescents and young adults. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Body Image, Weight Pressure and Disordered Eating Behaviors among Children and Adolescents)

► Show Figures