<abstract xml:lang="en" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><italic>Study aim</italic>: To compare the perception of own body by adolescent boys with an external assessment.<italic>Material and methods:</italic> Two groups of boys (45 from Warsaw, aged 15 – 16 years, and 49 from a small town in South-
Eastern Poland, aged 16 years) were studied by using standard body image templates containing 9 shapes. Every boy
indicated the perceived shape and that he wished to have. The external assessment was done by the same investigator
and that assessment served to classify boys as underweight (n = 4), normal (n = 51) or overweight (n = 39; Shapes 1
– 2, 3 – 4 and 5 – 9, respectively) and to correlate the scores with BMI.<italic>Results</italic>: The external and self-assessments were concordant in overweight boys, the desired shapes being significantly
lower only in Group 1. The percentage of overweight boys was significantly (p&lt;0.05) higher in Group 1 than in
Group 2. “Normal” boys from Group 1 significantly (p&lt;0.001) overrated their body shape compared with external
rating. External ratings of body shape significantly correlated with BMI values in both groups alike (r = 0.82, p&lt;0.001).<italic>Conclusions</italic>: The presented approach to body shape studies may contribute to preventing biosocial disorders in
adolescent boys brought about by thoughtless striving for an ideal shape promoted by mass media.</abstract>

Study aim: To compare the perception of own body by adolescent boys with an external assessment.Material and methods: Two groups of boys (45 from Warsaw, aged 15 – 16 years, and 49 from a small town in South-
Eastern Poland, aged 16 years) were studied by using standard body image templates containing 9 shapes. Every boy
indicated the perceived shape and that he wished to have. The external assessment was done by the same investigator
and that assessment served to classify boys as underweight (n = 4), normal (n = 51) or overweight (n = 39; Shapes 1
– 2, 3 – 4 and 5 – 9, respectively) and to correlate the scores with BMI.Results: The external and self-assessments were concordant in overweight boys, the desired shapes being significantly
lower only in Group 1. The percentage of overweight boys was significantly (p<0.05) higher in Group 1 than in
Group 2. “Normal” boys from Group 1 significantly (p<0.001) overrated their body shape compared with external
rating. External ratings of body shape significantly correlated with BMI values in both groups alike (r = 0.82, p<0.001).Conclusions: The presented approach to body shape studies may contribute to preventing biosocial disorders in
adolescent boys brought about by thoughtless striving for an ideal shape promoted by mass media.

Body image of adolescent boys

The Jozef Pilsudski University of Physical Education in Warsaw

Department of Physical Education, University
of Rzeszów

University College of Physical Culture and Tourism, Pruszków, Poland

Biomedical Human Kinetics

{"article-title":"Body image of adolescent boys"}

Study aim: To compare the perception of own body by adolescent boys with an external assessment.Material and methods: Two groups of boys (45 from Warsaw, aged...

Body image of adolescent boys

Published Online: Dec 28, 2012

Page range: 117 - 120

Received: Nov 19, 2012

Accepted: Dec 11, 2012

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/v10101-012-0022-0

Keywords
Body image, Body shape, Adolescents, Boys

This content is open access.

Body image of adolescent boys

Published Online: Dec 28, 2012

Page range: 117 - 120

Received: Nov 19, 2012

Accepted: Dec 11, 2012

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/v10101-012-0022-0

KeywordsBody image, Body shape, Adolescents, Boys

This content is open access.

Keywords
Body image, Body shape, Adolescents, Boys