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Anthropometry, body composition and body image in dieting and non‐dieting 8‐16‐year‐old Swedish girls
Author(s) -
Edlund B,
Sjödén PO,
GebreMedhin M
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
acta pædiatrica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1651-2227
pISSN - 0803-5253
DOI - 10.1111/j.1651-2227.1999.tb00171.x
Subject(s) - dieting , anthropometry , medicine , body mass index , demography , eating attitudes test , psychology , clinical psychology , weight loss , obesity , endocrinology , sociology
Anthropometry, body composition and body image were studied in 122 Swedish 8‐16‐y‐old girls and their parents. The subjects participated in a 3‐y prospective longitudinal study and were selected randomly after stratification for grades from those scoring in the upper vs. the lower thirds of the Children's Eating Attitudes Test (ChEAT) score distribution. The ChEAT was completed 6 mo before the present study together with a demographic and dieting questionnaire and a questionnaire for the estimation of body size. In total 43% (n = 52) admitted ever dieting (“Dieters”) and 25% (n = 30) admitted that they were currently trying to lose weight. The anthropometric and body composition data indicated that ChEAT High‐scorers and Dieters were somewhat fatter than Low‐scorers and Non‐dieters, although this pattern was not shown among the 8‐y‐olds or the 14‐y‐olds (High‐scorers). The mothers of the ChEAT High‐scorers were found to be somewhat fatter than the other mothers. A current vs.ideal body shape discrepancy was shown for both High‐scorers and Dieters, with a larger discrepancy for the Dieters. All groups believed that their parents were aspiring for a leaner body. □ Anthropometry, body composition, dieting behaviour, schoolgirls