10-year old Children Report Body Dissatisfaction

Children as young as 10 are feeling the pressure to achieve the perfect body shape. Results from over 4000 Canadian schoolchildren reveals a direct association between body mass and body shape.

Researchers from Harvard University and the University of Alberta, Canada measured the height and weight of 10-11 year old children and then asked them to rate themselves against the simple statement, "I like the way I look." Just over 7 per cent of girls and nearly 8 per cent of boys reported poor satisfaction with their body shape. Body dissatisfaction was also associated with increased weight. For normal weight, overweight and obese girls the prevalence of poor body satisfaction was 5.7%, 10.4% and 13.1%, respectively. For boys this was 7.6%, 8.4%, and 8.1%, respectively. A summary of the findings reported in ScienceDaily.com also shows that girls who live in rural areas and whose parents have a low standard of educational attainment, were more likely to report body dissatisfaction. 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.