Body image and psychosocial well-being in early adolescent development

Body dissatisfaction is a determining factor in defining psychosocial well being in early adolescence. During this period, young people progressively redefine their aesthetic standards. This new body concept influences how girls evaluate and accept their own appearance and is related to the psychophysical changes they undergo during this developmental phase. The aim of this study is to investigate how this change in body image evolves in a sample of early adolescent girls. Sample: The sample was composed of 2,408 early adolescent females from the Veneto region, subdivided into three age groups (761 11-year-olds, 734 13-year-olds, and 913 15-year-olds). Results: Correspondence analysis reveals how, in the 11-years-old group, feeling unattractive is only related to being overweight; this relation, however changes with increases age, when feeling unattractive is not anymore a synonymous of being overweight, and a new association can be observed in older girls who feel underweight and perceive themselves as attractive. Conclusion: Body image components change considerably during the early adolescence transition.