Body image and psychological impact
This study is about the impact of strategies to both decrease weight and muscle tone on negative and positive affect among adolescent males and females; the role of body dissatisfaction, Body Mass Index, and puberty in these relationships.
“Studies done by Siegel, Yancey, Aneshensel, and Schuler (1999) found that poor body image was associated with high levels of depression for adolescents, particularly girls” (McCabe, 2001). Female teenagers that are unhappy with their body use weight loss strategies such as the use of food supplements and dieting. Engaging in extreme dieting behaviors may lead to eating disorders. We should also considerate the role of advertising and these effects. Some ads show a very attractive girl and they message is that if you buy the product that they are promoting you will look like the girl in the ad. Most of the time girls in ads have the “perfect” body that some girls will envy. Failure to achieve the desired body image contributes to depression. Boys that are not satisfied with their body image tend to also use food supplements and steroids. The use of drugs like steroids may come from peer pressure. Not having the “ideal” body for a particular athletic activity may encourage teens to use steroids. The mental effect in this is anxiety; male teenagers could abuse the use of this drug.
Pubertal timing is included as a possible explanatory variable in this study since it is known to play an important role in the emotional and social development of both girls and boys. For example, early maturing girls tend to be less popular with their peers, show a consistently more negative body image and therefore are more likely to be depressed. In contrast, the effect of puberty on emotional development among boys appears to be positive. Early maturing boys are viewed as more attractive and self-confident, are more popular with their peers, have a more positive body image, and tend to be...