Body Shame and Disordered Eating in Adolescents

This study aimed to examine the predictive utility of body shame on eating behaviors in adolescents, while controlling for age, sex and body mass index (BMI). Participants were 400 Croatian adolescent girls and boys who completed self-report questionnaires assessing body shame and eating behaviors. Results showed that the mean eating behaviors score and the mean body shame score were significantly higher in females compared to males. Body shame explained statistically significant amount of eating behaviors variance after controlling for age, sex and BMI. Participants’ age and BMI did not play a role as significant predictors of eating behaviors. Implications for future research, including the importance of prospective longitudinal designs, are discussed.