Poor body image among teens isn't limited to the United States. A recent study shows that half of teens in Israel believe that they are overweight. The study, conducted by the Department of Criminology at Western Galilee College, examined whether a teen's view of his or her bodyweight impacted his or her risk of developing an eating disorder. The study included 323 male and female teenagers in 7th through 12th grades. The average age of participants was 14.5 years. According to study results, 41 percent of adolescents are unhappy with their weight, 47 percent believe they are fat, and 30 percent would like to lose more than 11 pounds. Approximately 6 percent were found to be at high risk for developing anorexia nervosa.

Bracha Katz-Sheiban, study author and a specialist on suicidal behaviors, explained why adolescents who define themselves as fat are at higher risk for developing an eating disorder than adolescents who think of themselves as thin: "Modern society associates various positive traits with an attractive and slim external appearance. ... This serves as a basis for the development of eating disorders, particularly among girls. ... Skinniness symbolizes self control, encouragement and restraining of cultural passions, while being fat symbolizes laziness and surrendering to different pleasures."

(Source: www.ynetnews.com)

Labels: teen, fat, israel

Posted By: Aspen Education Group