JUNK FOOD AND HEALTHY FOOD - MEANINGS OF FOOD IN ADOLESCENT WOMENS CULTURE

A qualitative research project was conducted to examine the meanings o f foods within adolescent female culture by looking at ways in which y oung women classify and use foods. Ninety-three young women ages 11 to 18 participated in semi-structured individual interviews or small gro up discussions in which they talked about what, where, and with whom t hey ate. The main food classification scheme that emerged from the dat a analysis was the dichotomization of foods into two groups: ''healthy foods'' 2nd ''junk foods''. The study participants agreed on the core foods and common characteristics of foods in each group. They associa ted consumption of junk food with, among other things, weight gain, pl easure, friends, independence, and guilt, while consumption of healthy food was associated with weight loss, parents, and being at home. Thr ough these associations, the food-meaning system relates to issues of adolescent development such as the maturation of relationships with fa mily and friends, and societal pressures on women to be thin. Apprecia tion of meanings given to different foods within adolescent women's cu lture and the links between these meanings and social and developmenta l issues may help nutrition educators in designing intervention progra ms for this age group.