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What Issues Do Teens Have with Their Bodies?
and self-esteem. A 2012 study published in the journal
Pediatrics
found
that more than 90 percent of middle- and high-school boys exercise at
least occasionally to build muscle. In addition, two 2014 studies pub-
lished in the journal
Psychology of Men and
Masculinity
found that boys who were un-
derweight were more likely to use steroids
and feel depressed—especially if they only
perceived themselves to be underweight.
“These studies highlight the often underre-
ported issue of distorted body image among
adolescent boys,” says psychologist Aaron
Blashill. “We found that some of these
boys who feel they are unable to achieve
that often unattainable image are suffering
and may be taking drastic measures.”
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That unattainable image—of a heavily muscled yet lean male—tends
to be the physique currently favored by the media. However, only a small
percentage of men have the genetic propensity to be both muscular and
lean. Most men and older teens cannot build muscle without also gain-
ing body fat. Others simply have bodies that are naturally lean, and they
are unable to build large muscles without taking dangerous substances
like steroids.
Girls, Breasts, and Body Image
Girls’ breasts begin to develop in the first stages of puberty—which has
been occurring earlier and earlier in recent years. Although girls still tend
to get their first periods at about the same age as they did twenty years ago
(between ages twelve and thirteen, on average), initial breast development
can occur several years earlier than it once did. A 2010 study published in
Pediatrics
found that 10.4 percent of Caucasian, 14.9 percent of Hispanic,
and 23.4 percent of African American girls had enough breast develop-
ment at age seven to mark the start of puberty. No one is sure why puberty
is starting so early for girls. Some believe that environmental hormones
and toxins are the culprits, while others cite higher body weights. How-
ever, early breast development can have a profound effect on teen body
image, because young girls are rarely able to process the attention their
breasts receive—which often comes in the form of teasing or bullying.
Only a small
percentage of
men have the
genetic pro-
pensity to be
both muscu-
lar and lean.
“
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