The body image, weight satisfaction, and eating disorder tendency of school children: the 2-year follow-up study

Abstract

Objective: This 2-year follow-up study was conducted to enhance our understanding of changes and rates of disturbed eating attitudes/behaviors, weight satisfaction, and prevalence of obesity in elementary school students between the ages of 10 and 12 years.

Methods: Questionnaires consisted of the following sections: (A) Demographics, (B) Body image, (C) Pubertal Development Scale, and (D) Children's Eating Attitudes Test-26 (ChEAT-26). School-based randomly selected participants completed the questionnaire at 10 years of age and repeated the same questionnaire 2 years later, at 12 years of age.

Results: The following findings were reported: (1) when changes at 2 years were compared, it was seen that the actual body weight of boys tended to increase, and perceived body size and desired body weight showed significant changes; (2) the percentage of children who wanted to be thinner increased, especially among girls; and (3) the percentage of participants with a tendency toward eating disorders (measured by ChEAT-26, ≥20) decreased from 10.4% to 10.1% in boys, and increased from 10.9% to 12.3% in girls.

Conclusion: Nutritional education should emphasize the importance of correct body image and eating attitudes for the prevention of unhealthy body weight concerns and eating disorders in children. Caregivers' attitudes about weight and how caregivers deliver information on weight issues to children should be recognized as important factors related to healthy body image and eating attitudes among children.