Habitual negative body image thinking as psychological risk factor in adolescents

Body Image. 2008 Jun;5(2):133-40. doi: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2007.11.001. Epub 2008 Jan 9.

Abstract

Negative body image thinking can be broken down into cognitive content (body dissatisfaction thoughts) and the way such thoughts occur. The present study focused on negative body image thinking as mental habit, i.e., the degree to which such thinking occurs frequently and automatically [Verplanken, Friborg, Wang, Trafimow, & Woolf, 2007]. In a sample of 250 adolescents (age 12-15) it was found that negative body image thinking habit uniquely accounted for variance in self-esteem and eating disturbance propensity over and above body image dissatisfaction. Considering negative body image thinking as a mental habit contributes to a deeper understanding of body dissatisfaction in adolescents, and may have implications for interventions to deal with such attitudes and their potentially harmful consequences.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Body Image*
  • Body Mass Index
  • Child
  • Feeding and Eating Disorders / diagnosis
  • Feeding and Eating Disorders / psychology
  • Female
  • Habits*
  • Health Surveys
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Norway
  • Personal Satisfaction
  • Psychology, Adolescent*
  • Risk Factors
  • Self Concept
  • Thinking