Eating disturbance, self-esteem, reasons for exercising and body weight dissatisfaction in adolescent males

✍ Scribed by Adrian Furnham; Alison Calnan

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1998
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 124 KB
• Volume: 6
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1072-4133
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1099-0968(199803)6:1<58::aid-erv184>3.0.co;2-v

✦ Synopsis

This study assessed body dissatisfaction, self-esteem and attitudes as well as behaviours relating to disordered eating in adolescent boys. The results indicated that males who were dissatis®ed with their bodies are equally divided between those who wish to gain weight and those who wish to lose weight. In addition exercising for physical tone, attractiveness, health, ®tness and weight control were all related to measures of disordered eating, while exercising for mood, and enjoyment were not. There was no relationship between self-esteem and body weight dissatisfaction. The best predictors of satisfaction with weight were the `reasons for exercise' variables. The ®ndings are discussed in terms of differences between male and female body dissatisfaction and the cultural pressure to obtain male ideal body shapes. *