Weight Perceptions in Children: The Roots of Dieting

Abstract

Disturbed body image perceptions and eating attitudes have been well documented in adults and adolescents. Few studies have examined young children for disordered eating attitudes and body images.Six hundred and twenty-eight fifth and sixth graders from five schools in Northeastern Pennsylvania completed a Body Figure Preference Questionnaire, the children's Eating Attitude Test (chEat) and a dieting questionnaire. Heights, weights and body mass index were obtained on each student.Results showed, 58% of all students, 73% of girls and 43% of boys, wanted to be thinner; 58% of all students had already attempted weight loss and 11% scored within the disordered eating attitude range on the chEat. Thirty-five percent of the children were overweight/obese.In comparison to boys, girls were shown to score significantly higher on the chEat and preferred a significantly smaller desired body figure than their current body figure (p<.0001). Over 33% of girls, compared to only 13% of boys, described themselves as “too fat”. One-quarter of the children had been encouraged by their parents to lose weight, and eight percent reported active dieting.The findings indicate that abnormal eating attitudes are present by grade five. Many young girls were shown to have disturbed and unrealistic body image perceptions. The data demonstrated the necessity for increased educational instructions at school, at home and in the media, on nutrition, body image and self-esteem.Finally, physicians, teachers and parents must accept the occurrence of eating disorders in children, and devote time and effort into successful identification and interventions.