Risk Factors for Body Dissatisfaction in Adolescent Girls: A Longitudinal Investigation

Throughout the years people have gained the idea of having the perfect body. Media has strived to accomplish the visual of an ideal body across the globe. Though it may not seem like an extreme problem when looking at it head on, there is a lot of influence taking place behind the scenes. The article, Risk Factors for Body Dissatisfaction in Adolescent Girls: A longitudinal Investigation written by Eric Stice and Kathryn Whitenton was the article that was chosen. It can be found, in the Developmental Psychology Journal and was published in July of 2002. This article discusses if sociocultural, interpersonal, and biological risk factors increase body dissatisfaction in adolescent girls.

Stice and Whitenton (2002) approached their study by focusing on an age range between eleven and fifteen year old girls from four public and four private middle schools on the southwest side of the United States. Two different types of schools were examined to distinguish if there were any sociocultural peer interaction differences. With consent from their parents, the girls completed questionnaires that consisted of answering different types of questions by ranking them from one (none) to five (a lot). These questions were not specified within the article. These questionnaires helped the researchers see how each individual saw themselves instead of doing a group test. In group testing, manipulation is sometimes seen because a person may not want to be the ‘odd man out’ and goes along with the crowd. The girls also participated in a psychiatric interview that was directed by those who obtained a degree or who was specifically trained in psychology (Stice & Whitenton, 2002). This was to prove that the diagnostics of an individual, if a...

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...s and informs them that everyone should be that way (Derenne & Beresin, 2006). A male viewing this same ideal female image adds additional pressure to females. As discussed in the article, there are risk factors that trigger body dissatisfaction but girls have to obtain this image from some source or body dissatisfaction would not be increasing. Ultimately body dissatisfaction is more likely to develop at a young age. Without guidance to what’s important on the inside, girls will continue to reach for these ideal images no matter what it takes.

Works Cited

Derenne, J. L., & Beresin, E. V. (2006). Body Image, Media, and Eating Disorders. Academic Psychiatry, 30:257-261

Stice, E., & Whitenton, K. (2002). Risk Factors for Body Dissatisfaction in Adolescent Girls: A longitudinal Investigation. Journal of Developmental Psychology, Vol. 38, No. 5, 669-678