Gender differences in adolescent weight and shape-related beliefs and behaviour.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the beliefs, attitudes and behaviours of North Queensland adolescents about weight, weight loss and body shape, and to examine the influence of gender.


METHODS
A questionnaire was used to survey 791 year 8 adolescents from private schools in north Queensland.


RESULTS
Only 41% of the girls and 54% of the boys were satisfied with their weight; 52% of the girls and 27% of the boys wanted to lose weight; 52% of the girls thought their thighs were too fat and 26% of the boys thought their stomachs were too fat. When surveyed, 35% of the girls and 22% of the boys were trying to lose weight.


CONCLUSIONS
The weight loss drive, so prevalent in our culture, is already apparent among 12-14 year old schoolchildren. The challenge is to prevent obesity without encouraging an accompanying obsession with weight loss; however, good information, appropriately delivered, may be insufficient without a change in cultural expectations and assistance from the fashion and advertising industries.
Nowak
M
M
Department of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, James Cook University of North Queensland, Townsville, Queensland, Australia.
Speare
R
R
Crawford
D
D
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D001835:Body Weight; D002648:Child; D053198:Child Nutrition Sciences / Q000193:education; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D011793:Queensland; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires