Risk Factors for Body Dissatisfaction in Adolescent Girls: A Longitudinal Investigation.

This longitudinal study tested whether a set of sociocultural, biological, interpersonal, and affective factors predicted increases in body dissatisfaction in adolescent girls. Findings indicated that elevated adiposity, perceived pressure to be thin, thin-ideal internalization, and social support deficits predicted body dissatisfaction increases, but early menarche, weight-related teasing, and depression did not. Evidence suggested two distinct pathways to body dissatisfaction: one involving pressure to be thin and one involving adiposity. (Author/KB)