title: Body image, body satisfaction and dieting behavior in Japanese preadolescents: The Toyama birth cohort study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the relationships between body image, body satisfaction and dieting behavior in the context of pubertal changes in Japanese preadolescents.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study of dieting behavior among 5,244 preadolescents (2,452 boys and 2,792 girls aged 12-13) born in Toyama prefecture.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The percentages of those who perceived themselves fat, wanted to be thinner, and had tried dieting, which increased with body mass index (BMI), were significantly higher in girls than in boys (34.2% vs. 20.0%, 58.0% vs. 26.0%, and 17.3% vs. 5.7%, respectively). Independent of sex and BMI, those who wanted to be thinner and those who had tried dieting were more frequently observed in those who perceived themselves fat, and those who had tried dieting were more frequently observed in those who wanted to be thinner. Pubertal changes were significantly associated with dieting behavior, but their relationships to body image and body satisfaction differed between sexes; for boys, those who perceived themselves fat were more frequently observed in those without pubertal changes; whereas for girls, those who wanted to be thinner were more frequently observed in those with pubertal changes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Dieting behavior of Japanese preadolescents was associated with whether they perceived themselves fat and wanted to be thinner, sometimes independent of whether they were actually overweight. Pubertal changes might induce a positive perspective of growing fat among boys and a desire to be thinner among girls, with the consequence that dieting behavior would be reinforced in those with pubertal changes.
authors: Department of Preventive Medicine, St. Marianna University School of Medicine, 2-16-1 Sugao, Miyamae-ku, 216-8511, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan, suka@marianna-u.ac.jp.
authors: Machi
authors: M
authors: Suka
authors: Hiroki
authors: H
authors: Sugimori
authors: Katsumi
authors: K
authors: Yoshida
authors: Hitomi
authors: H
authors: Kanayama
authors: Michikazu
authors: M
authors: Sekine
authors: Takashi
authors: T
authors: Yamagami
authors: Sadanobu
authors: S
authors: Kagamimori