30
Teens and Body Image
A study by NBC’s
Today
and AOL.com surveyed over two thousand adults and
two hundred teens to better understand how people feel about their bodies.
Participants were asked how often they had positive and negative thoughts
about their appearance. Males had more positive thoughts and fewer negative
thoughts about their bodies than females overall. Teen girls had the most
negative thoughts, while teen boys had the most positive thoughts.
How Often Think Negative/Positive Thoughts
(% Weekly)
Teen
Boys
Adult
Women
Teen
Girls
Adult
Men
Source:
Today
and AOL.com, “Ideal to Real Body Image Survey,” February 2014.
.
Negative Thoughts
Positive Thoughts
Percentage
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
49%
83%
36%
73% 78%
67%
60%
67%
Teen Girls Are the Most Critical of Their Bodies
•
A 2014 study in
JAMA Pediatrics
found that almost
18 percent
of teen
boys are highly concerned about their physique and muscle mass.
•
In 2014 researchers at Flinders University in Australia surveyed
351
women
and found that
17 percent
were interested in having labia-
plasty, or plastic surgery on their vaginas.
•
A 2008 study in the
Journal of Health Psychology
found that
30 per-
cent
of men were dissatisfied with their genitals.
