Adolescent concerns about weight and eating; a social-development perspective

Eight hundred and forty-six children from multi-cultural schools in neighbourhoods of differing socio-economic background were interviewed concerning their attitudes to weight and eating. The results suggested that weight concern was high in the girls, with more than 50% feeling too fat and wanting to lose weight. The levels of weight concern were almost as high in the 11 year olds as in the 18 year olds, which suggests that weight concerns are beginning earlier than in the past. White girls reported more concern than black or Asian girls. Girls from higher SES background schools showed more concern than those from lower SES schools, although they were actually slimmer. Dieting was also more common in the girls and especially so in white girls and in those from the higher SES schools. However, it was not as common as has been found in North American samples. Within the field of psychological problems these results are unusual in finding evidence for less difficulty in the children from the least socially and culturally privileged backgrounds.