ADOLESCENTS PERCEPTION OF BODY-WEIGHT AND PARENTS WEIGHT-FOR-HEIGHT STATUS

Purpose. To obtain data on the relationships between weight for height status, in adolescents and their parents, and adolescents' perception s of body image and weight-loss behavior. Methods: Weight and height w ere measured in both parents and adolescents from 213 families with an adolescent child aged 14-15 years who were participating in a communi ty-based study of risk factors for coronary heart disease in Geelong, Australia. Information on adolescents' perceptions of body image, desi red weight, and weight loss behaviors was obtained by questionnaire. R esults: Forty-one percent of the girls and 14% of the boys considered themselves overweight while 18% of both boys and girls were in this ca tegory on the basis of their body mass index (BMI). Most boys tended t o see themselves as of normal weight while only girls below the 10th c entile for BMI consistently rated themselves as normal. Adolescents wh o rated themselves as slim had parents whose BMI was significantly low er than that of the parents of adolescents who rated themselves as ove rweight. A significant proportion of adolescent girls (69%) and boys ( 27%) had at some time tried to lose weight. Female, but not male, adol escents of normal BMI who had tried to lose weight were themselves hea vier and had significantly heavier mothers, but not fathers, than thos e in the normal range for BMI who had not attempted to do so. Adolesce nts who perceived an advantage in gaining weight had significantly sho rter and lighter, but not leaner, fathers than those who perceived an advantage in losing weight. Only individuals below the loth centile fo r BMI appeared to be content with their weight. On average the weight desired by girls and boys in the normal range for BMI was 6.6 and 2.0 kg less than their actual weight, while their desired height was 8.0 a nd 12.8 cm more than their actual height. Conclusions: The findings co nfirm gender differences in perceptions of and attitudes to body weigh t and body build. They also provide evidence for an association betwee n adolescents perceptions of body weight and parents' weight for heigh t status and suggest that the size of the ''gap'' between desired and actual weight is associated with the prevalence of weight-loss behavio r.