Unhealthy thinking about body and weight 'can start in childhood'

Conclusion This population-based prospective cohort study showed body dissatisfaction, weight and shape concern, and pressure to lose weight were all significantly higher in girls compared with boys. The study reported these concerns about body image were all significantly higher in girls compared with boys. This predicted eating disorder in girls at age 14.  This study has several strengths and limitations. One of the biggest strengths is its size. It had a large population size, which is said to be representative of the overall UK population. This allowed a clear identification of gender-specific patterns. It also assessed various early risk factors in childhood before the onset of the eating disorder behaviours. However, though the study demonstrates associations, it does not prove causation. Various health, lifestyle and personal factors may be involved in the development of an eating disorder, not all of which have been assessed here. It is difficult to identify which factor or combination of factors could have been directly involved in the development of an eating disorder. This is particularly relevant given that assessments on eating disorders or the child's body image and self-esteem are limited to the scope of the few questions used on the assessment questionnaires. These may not always give a reliable indication of how the child or adolescent may feel or what factors have contributed to this. Another limitation is that despite the use of a large representative ...
Source: NHS News Feed - Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Mental health Pregnancy/child Source Type: news