ADOLESCENTS WEIGHT, SEX, AND FAMILY FUNCTIONING

The study explored family functioning with adolescents of varying weig ht. The participants were 572 adolescents (286 boys and 286 girls) (M = 15.7 years, SD = 1.04) who comprised four weight groups: underweight (less than 90% expected weight), normal weight (90 to 110%), overweig ht (111 to 125%), and obese (over 125%). They completed 9 of the 15 su bscales of the Self-Report Measure of Family Functioning pertaining to family styles (e.g., Authoritarian) and relationships (e.g., Conflict , Enmeshment). Obese girls rated their families lower on Cohesion, Exp ressiveness, and Democratic Family Style. Obese and moderately overwei ght girls seem to perceive their families differently. Obese and overw eight boys did not differ from normal weight boys on any of the measur es. There was a tendency for underweight boys to report lower Cohesion , Expressiveness, and Democratic Family Style. The need to consider fa mily environment, particularly the family's differing expectations for obese daughters and underweight sons, is discussed with reference to treatment. (C) 1995 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.