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Teens and Body Image
rates, and boys and girls cannot help but compare their bodies to the
bodies of their peers. Girls tend to be more body conscious and have
more problems with negative body image than boys, but experts are
finding that negative body image among boys is more of a problem than
previously thought.
Girls worry about the size of their breasts and hips, and those who
are tall or have a larger body type can feel uncomfortable around smaller
or shorter peers—especially boys. Boys worry about being shorter or less
muscular than their peers. Both boys and girls worry about being over-
weight. They also become concerned about their overall attractiveness—
which can be affected by acne or braces. Finally, as teens become inter-
ested in the opposite sex, they become worried about the changes to
their genitalia.
Puberty and Weight
Body weight is often a significant factor in body image. This is especially
true for girls, who are surrounded by media images and messages that tell
them that being fat is unacceptable. According to psychologists Eleanor
Wertheim and Susan Paxton, “Adolescent girls often think that being
thinner would make them happier, healthier, and better looking.”
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What many teens do not realize
is that weight gain during puberty is
both healthy and natural. Between
ages eleven and fourteen, most girls
gain about 40 pounds (18 kg) as
their bodies develop. Boys enter
puberty one or two years later and
can gain much more. Many boys
and girls go through a short period
when they appear overweight—
their body has retained fat but they have not yet gotten taller. This can
cause intense anxiety in some adolescents—worry that is sometimes
echoed by their parents, their coaches, or even their doctors. However, if
sudden weight gain in adolescence is not caused by a medical problem,
teens should not worry. Instead, experts suggest concentrating on eating
healthy foods, getting plenty of exercise, and allowing body weight to
normalize on its own.
Negative body im-
age among boys is
more of a problem
than [experts] pre-
viously thought.
“
”
