BODY FIGURE PERCEPTIONS AND EATING ATTITUDES AMONG AUSTRALIAN SCHOOLCHILDREN AGED 8 TO 12 YEARS

Objective: How widespread is the desire for thinness among preadolesce nt Australian children and are there gender differences? Method: Two h undred forty-four children from Grades 3 to 6 completed the children's version of the Eating Attitudes Test (ChEAT), reported whether they h ad ever wanted to be thinner or tried to lose weight, and selected pic tures ranging from thin to fat to depict their current and ideal body images. Results: Fifty percent of girls and 33% of boys have wanted to be thinner, and 40% and 24%, respectively, have attempted to lose wei ght. Percentages bf girls and boys scoring above the ChEAT screening t hreshold for anorexia risk were 14% and 8%, respectively. ChEAT scores , attitudes and behaviors, and current and ideal figure perceptions we re significantly related to body mass index (BMI). Discussion: Attitud es and behaviors were consistent with recent U.S. and Israeli findings that concerns about being overweight are prevalent among 8- to 12-yea r-olds. High ChEAT scores among Grade 3 children raised the question o f whether very young children adequately understand this questionnaire . (C) 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.