ADOLESCENT BALLET SCHOOL STUDENTS - THEIR QUEST FOR BODY-WEIGHT CHANGE

Body mass index (BMI) and body type of female and male adolescent ball et dancers (n = 90) and school students (n = 156) were determined. Par ticipants were asked for the body weight she or he would prefer, and b allet students were administered the Eating Attitudes Test-40 (EAT-40) . Results between age groups and with reference values were compared. Both in dancers and controls, girls wanted to lose more body weight th an boys, with female ballet dancers more than female controls. The des ire for reducing body weight was expressed by female ballet dancers of all BMI percentiles and body types, with the highest difference betwe en real and desired body weight in 11-, 13-, and 16-year-olds. In the other groups, a quest for lower body weight was expressed only by adol escents of higher BMI and pyknomorphic and/or mesomorphic body type. F emale ballet dancers of all age groups sought to reach body weights be low the 5th percentile or below 82% of normal body weight. Desired bod y weight change was influenced by BMI and body type and correlated pos itively with EAT-40 score.