Sažetak
This study focuses on the middle school students in the Croatian region of Dalmatia. The survey was designed to examine adolescent dieting behaviors as it relates to body image and psychological well-being (self-esteem, life-satisfaction and stress) as well as biological characteristics of body mass index ; BMI. Differences among participants in food preferences were examined according to demographic variables and dieting behavior as well. Psychological variables have been found to be highly associated with dieting among adolescents of both genders. The adolescents who where dieting reported significantly lower self-esteem, life satisfaction and body-image satisfaction, higher rate of stress and higher rate of body mass index (BMI) as compared with non-dieters. This study confirms that a rather large percentage of adolescent girls of low socioeconomic status engage in dieting when trying to lose weight, which may seriously damage their developmental growth.
Ključne riječi
anthropology; adolescents; nutrition; psychological well being