Elsevier

Appetite

Volume 52, Issue 2, April 2009, Pages 485-491
Appetite

Research report
A qualitative investigation into the opinions of adolescent females regarding their body image concerns and dieting practices in the Republic of Ireland (ROI)

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2008.12.012Get rights and content

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the opinions of female adolescents living in the ROI on issues relating to body image and dietary practice. A qualitative study was selected to enable the issues to be explored in depth. Sixteen focus groups were executed with adolescent females (n = 124) aged 15–16 years. Data collection took place during class time in both rural and urban schools in the ROI. Data were analysed using a qualitative thematic methodology, namely framework analysis. High levels of body dissatisfaction existed and dieting was found to be prevalent. The influence of media celebrities was significant. The girls not only aspired to be like them in terms of physique but also followed their alleged dieting regimes in detail. Peers also influenced body dissatisfaction and dieting practices. Consequently, eating habits were altered to accommodate this quest for thinness with a tendency to skip main meals as part of the dieting practice while maintaining an unhealthy snacking pattern. The results are of concern as the adolescent females were utilising unhealthy methods of weight control such as skipping meals and fasting in their quest to obtain a thin physique. A slim body image was deemed important for peer acceptance; hence ‘crash’ dieting was in existence. This mindset and the resultant dietary practices may have negative health consequences during both adolescence and later life. School interventions targeting adolescent females and focusing on healthy eating and body image are therefore urgently required.

Introduction

Body image is a multidimensional concept that incorporates perceptual, attitudinal and affective components (Striegel-Moore & Franko, 2002). Huang, Norman, Zabinski, Calfas, and Patrick (2007) believe that body image is correlated to self-esteem, self-confidence, eating and exercise behaviours, sexual experiences and emotional stability. Disturbances in these components are labelled as body image concerns (Striegel-Moore & Franko, 2002). Body dissatisfaction however, refers to the subjective feelings of discontent involving negative thoughts and feelings with one's physical appearance (Littleton & Ollendick, 2003). It can negatively influence psychological welfare and overall quality of life (Striegel-Moore & Franko, 2002). According to Gualldi-Russo et al. (2008) consideration must be given to unjustified body image dissatisfactions as they have the potential to lead to eating disorders.

The ideal of feminine beauty for adolescent females living in developed countries is young, tall, thin and full breasted (Levine & Smolak, 2002) and thinness has become synonymous with beauty, desirability and status (Tiggemann, 2002). Research into body image amongst adolescents reveals a recurrent progression towards a more distorted and negative perception of the body, in spite of the fact that most adolescents are of a normal body weight (O’Dea, 1995). According to Levine and Smolak (2002), body shape and weight dissatisfaction is widespread amongst female adolescents, hence it is actually characterised as “normative discontent”. Interestingly, Littleton and Ollendick (2003) report that body image dissatisfaction and body distortion appear to increase with age, peaking during early adolescence and predominately amongst females. Indeed, it is perhaps understandable that body image concerns are at their optimum during adolescence due to the fact that so many physical, hormonal, cognitive and emotional changes take place as a result of puberty (Coleman and Hendry, 1999, Spear, 2002). Videon and Manning (2003) explain that these physical changes cause a heightened interest in body shape, size and appearance. Therefore, such alterations of physical body shape would obviously cause adolescent females concern as they progress from their prepubescent weight to a fuller but heavier body shape. Levine and Smolak (2002) state that a girl's body pubertal development is allied with increased body mass, a more negative body image and greater levels of drive for thinness and dieting.

Dieting is a normal corollary to body dissatisfaction (Barasi, 2003; Stice, Mazotti, Krebs, & Martin, 1998). For many, dieting is executed in a bid to achieve current ideals of thinness, however for others, dieting is associated with the increased prevalence of adolescent obesity (Daae et al., 2002). Indeed, levels of overweight and obesity in Irish adolescent girls aged between 13 and 15 years are higher than the international average (Department of Health and Children, 2005). According to Spear (2006), because Western culture glorifies thinness many adolescents become excessively preoccupied with their physical appearance and engage in strategies to achieve or maintain a thin body. Consequently, female adolescents are dieting to achieve the ultra thin body epitome so widely promoted by Western society (Eisenberg, Neumark-Sztainer, Story, & Perry, 2005; Hill, 2002; Packard & Stanek-Krogstrand, 2002). However, real physical change versus perceived change in body proportions is also an issue. Spear (2006) reports that dieters tend to have lower body image dissatisfaction regardless of actual weight status. Barr (1995) states that substantial proportions of normal or underweight girls also want to weigh less and so engage in weight loss efforts. Hence, dieting to lose weight, whether necessary or not, is common practice amongst adolescent females (Garrow, James, & Ralph, 2000; Mooney, Farley, & Strugnell, 2004; Spear, 2006). This dieting obviously impacts on eating behaviour. Trew et al. (2005) found that Irish adolescent females have a high degree of both awareness and anxiety regarding weight control and unfortunately these concerns are at the expense of motivations to eat healthily. Similarly, Littleton and Ollendick (2003) highlight that a negative body image can increase the possible incidence of disordered eating such as bingeing, skipping meals and the consumption of unhealthy foods. With regard to actual prevalence rates, a national study was executed in the ROI in 2006, amongst 10,334 school-going children. This revealed that with regards to females, dieting increases with age from 8.3% of 10–11 year olds to 19.7% of 15–17 year olds (HBSC, 2006).

While there is information pertaining to prevalence rates of dieting amongst adolescent females in the ROI, it was considered that a qualitative study on this particular target group focusing exclusively on body image concerns and dieting practices would generate useful information for health professionals and educators as to the rationale behind such behaviour. With regard to public health policy, these qualitative data have the potential to generate information which will assist the development of new health promotion strategies, focusing on healthy eating and body image targeted specifically at adolescent females. To date, little is known in the ROI with regard to the impact of both body image and dieting as influencing factors on food choices and eating patterns. In addition, there was a dearth of information in the literature regarding the effect of rural or urban location on body image satisfaction and dieting levels, hence it was envisaged that this would be a useful exercise. This study aimed to investigate these factors, endeavouring to inform and indeed optimise the development of new health promotion strategies that focus on healthy eating and body image and are specifically targeted at adolescent females.

Section snippets

Subjects

Sixteen focus group sessions were conducted with adolescent females (n = 124) aged 15–16 years. This age group were specifically targeted as it was perceived that these girls would more than likely have commenced menstruation and would therefore have first hand experience of the physical changes associated with puberty. Eight were in rural1 areas and eight in urban areas.

Measurement

Carson, Gillmore, Gronhaug, and Perry

Body image and influencing factors

There was no obvious difference in the relative importance of this issue between participants in rural or urban areas.

Discussion

Without doubt, celebrities and their lifestyles played a dominant and inspirational role for the majority of the participants. These celebrities are seen as thin, pretty and famous; qualities which most adolescent females in the study believed to be crucial to achieving success. Perhaps the girls are struggling with the belief that most people can achieve thinness, while good looks and talent are not as easily accomplished. The level of detail with which the girls followed the lives of the

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