Girls Can Internalize Negative Body Images Even As Pre-Adolescents.

2001 MAR 22- (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Dieting is common behavior for girls as young as 10 years of age, according to study results that suggest efforts to prevent eating disorders should not overlook pre-adolescents.

"Weight preoccupation in prepubertal girls is a concern because dieting at this age can impact growth and may increase risk for fatigue, irritability, low self-esteem, depression, and eating disorders," said lead author Nancy E. Sherwood, PhD, of the School of Public Health at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. The study results appear in the March 2001 issue of the American Journal of Health Promotion.

Using data from a survey of Girl Scouts, Sherwood and co-author Dianne Neumark-Sztainer, PhD, MPH, RD, measured the incidence of dieting in 234 Girl Scout troop members who were approximately 10 years old.

The survey also queried girls about their exposure to various magazines and their awareness of the influence of the media. To gauge their internalization of sociocultural ideals, the Girls Scouts were asked if they agree with statements such as, "Pictures of thin girls and women make me wish I was thin."

Nearly 30% of the girls reported trying to lose weight, the researchers found. Most of the dieters reported using healthy methods to lose weight, such as increasing their levels of exercise and decreasing their consumption of high-fat foods, but a small number of study participants (n=12) said they took diet pills, purged, or took laxatives to lose weight.

"Although it is of concern that one-third of 10- and 11-year-old girls are dieting, it was encouraging that most reported engaging in healthy behaviors," said Sherwood.

Asked to describe how they felt about ...