Perception of the Body Image and Nutritional Status in Adolescents

Abstract

Adolescence is a time marked by physical, psychological and behavioral changes, which may affect the perception of body image, besides being associated to an increased dissatisfaction towards the body image. The objective of this study was to verify the association between the perception and dissatisfaction towards the body image, and the nutritional status of teenagers in the state school. A cross-sectional study has been performed on female adolescents between 15 and 19 years old. Two instruments were used: the Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ) and Stunkard’s Silhouette Scale, aside from an anthropometric evaluation. The study has analyzed 120 adolescents with an average age of 16±1,1 years old, showing a prevalence of dissatisfaction with the body image in 83,3%. Now, towards the perception of body image, 60% of the teenagers presented some degree of distortion. Given the discoveries, it has been concluded that most of the adolescents presented a Body Mass Index (BMI) within the ideal parameters, nevertheless, many of them considered themselves as dissatisfied with their own body image, that is, they presented a negative and distorted image of their own bodies, which may lead to the development of eating disorders.