Bos, A. E. R., Verheggen, T., & Beekman, K. S. (2006). Sex differences in body esteem, self-esteem and eating pathology in adolescents, Kind en Adolescent, 27 (4), 233-242.
To investigate sex differences in body esteem, self-esteem and eating pathology Dutch adolescents (n = 357) filled out questionnaires that measured these concepts. Girls reported lower body esteem, lower self-esteem and more eating pathology than boys. For girls and boys, body esteem and self-esteem were strongly related to each other. For girls, body esteem and self-esteem were related to all subscales of the eating disorder examination questionnaire. For boys, body esteem and self-esteem were related to weight concern and shape concern, but not to restraint and eating concern. Regression analyses demonstrate that body esteem and self-esteem were predictors of restraint in girls, whereas body mass index was not. This was exactly the opposite for boys. The theoretical and practical implications of the present study are discussed.
