J Korean Acad Fam Med.  1997 Jul;18(7):714-721.

Body image perception and self-reported weight control activities in adolescent girls

• Hong EK
• Park SB
• Shin YS
• Park HS

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Adolescent girls are interested in weight reduction, but effective and adequate education for weight reduction is not done in Korea. And so much information is accepted via mass media. We investigated body image perception, weight control activities and their side effects among adolescent girls.
METHODS
We used questionnaire about body image and weight control activities of middle and high school girls in Seoul in Sep. 1995.
RESULTS
88.6% of girls were not satisfied with their own height and 85.1% of girls with their own weight. 66.3% underweight students(BMI<20kg/m2) thought they were too fat and 98% acceptable weight students(20kg/m2<_KBMI<25kg/m2) thought they were too fat. So most girls had body image disturbance. 42.4% of girls were trying to lose weight and 85.1% were trying to lose weight reason for attractiveness and 16.6% were trying to lose for health. Self reported weight reduction methods were exercise(31.6%), fasting(21.9%), diet(21.5%), monodiet(10.8 %), laxatives(2.3%), very low calorie diet(1.8%) etc. Students who tr ied to lose weight for attractiveness selected more undesirable methods than who tried to lose weight for health(P<0.01). Most common route is via magazine, TV and newspaper. 43.4% of girls who tried to lose weight experienced side effects after weight reduction, those were dizziness(71.3%), general weakness(51%), apathy(26.S%) etc.
CONCLUSIONS
Most girls had body image distortions. Useless weight reduction activities were done or planned and most of information was accepted via mass media. It is important to educate the girls to get adequate body image and effective weight reduction program is needed for health in adolescent girls.

MeSH Terms

Adolescent*
Body Image*
Education
Female*
Humans
Korea
Mass Media
Periodicals
Periodicals as Topic
Self Report
Seoul
Thinness
Weight Loss
Weight Perception
Weight Reduction Programs
Surveys and Questionnaires