title: Internalization of the sociocultural ideal: weight-related attitudes and dieting behaviors among young adolescent girls.
abstract: Questionnaires returned from 234 fifth and sixth graders from 24 Girl Scout Troops in the Midwest showed that 29.3% of all girls and 68.7% of those who were dieting thought they were overweight. Most of those who were trying to lose weight were using healthy methods, but a few were using dangerous methods. Very few were unhappy with their weight, shape, and various body parts. Most appeared to be aware of the influence of media on body image and were accepting of a wide range of body shapes and sizes among themselves and their friends.
authors.affiliation: Division of Epidemiology, University of Minnesota, 1300 South 2nd Street, Suite 300, Minneapolis, MN 55454, USA.
authors.forename: N E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Sherwood
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Neumark-Sztainer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001828:Body Image; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004038:Diet, Reducing; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008910:Minnesota; D012945:Social Values; D014922:Wisconsin