Resumen de Self-perception of weight and physical fitness, body image perception, control weight behaviors and eating behaviors in adolescents

Juan Arispon Cid, Cristina Andrades Ramírez, Josefa Sánchez Rodríguez, Amalia Iglesias Conde, Ignacio Jáuregui Lobera, Griselda Herrero Martín, Patricia Bolaños Ríos

• español

  Introducción: la autopercepción del peso y de la forma física, razones estéticas para hacer dieta, pesarse como método para sentirse mejor y la percepción de la imagen corporal se han relacionado con una constelación de riesgos para desarrollar tanto insatisfacción corporal como alteraciones alimentarias, especialmente en adolescentes.

  Objetivos: analizar la autopercepción del peso y de la forma física, explorar los vínculos entre estas variable y conductas de control de peso, explorar posibles relaciones entre la autopercepción del peso y de la forma física, realización de dietas, frecuencia con la que se pesan los adolescentes e índice de masa corporal (IMC)/imagen corporal, así como la relación de todo ello con diferentes conductas alimentarias.

  Resultados: el IMC medio fue de 20,18 ± 3,58 y el 41,14% de los participantes presentaba sobrepeso/obesidad. Entre quienes se percibían con sobrepeso, el 76,92% eran chicas. Más del 70% de los participantes decían estar en una buena forma física o en la media y eran más los chicos los que decían estar en buena o excelente forma física. Casi el 60% de los participantes que planeaban hacer dieta por razones estéticas eran chicas y ellas más que los chicos se pesaban para sentirse mejor. El IMC correlacionó significativamente con la subescala imagen corporal/ingesta restrictiva.

  Conclusiones: existen claros vínculos entre autopercepción ponderal, imagen corporal, realización de dietas, pesarse y conductas alimentarias en una edad que podría considerarse como un punto de partida para la presentación de alteraciones alimentarias.

• English

  Introduction: self-perception of weight and physical fitness, aesthetic reasons to diet, self-weighing as a way to feel better and body image perception have been related to a constellation of risks to develop both body image dissatisfaction and eating behavior disturbances, especially among adolescents.

  Objectives: to analyze weight self-perception and self-reported physical fitness, to explore the links between these variables and weight control behaviors, to explore possible relations among weight self-perception, self-reported physical fitness, dieting, self-weighing frequency and body mass index (BMI)/body image and to analyze the relation between all these variables and different eating behaviors.

  Methods: a total of 336 students (mean age of 12.46 ± 2.14; 47.62% females) took part in this study. Different scales were administered (weight self-perception and self-reported physical fitness, dieting, self-weighing frequency, body image perception, eating behaviors) and height and weight were measured in order to obtain the BMI.

  Results: mean BMI was 20.18 ± 3.58 and 41.14% of participants had overweight/obesity. Among those who perceived themselves as overweight, 76.92% were girls. More than 70% of participants reported average or good physical fitness and more boys reported good or excellent physical fitness. Almost 60% of participants who planned to diet for aesthetic reasons were girls, and girls more than boys self-weighed to feel better. BMI was significantly correlated with body image dissatisfaction/restrictive eating.

  Conclusions: there are clear links between weight self-perception, body image, dieting, self-weighing and eating behaviors at an age which might be considered as a starting point to eating behavior disturbances.