Body Dissatisfaction in Adolescence

Body dissatisfaction (persistent negative thoughts and feelings about one's own body) is both a significant mental health concern in its own right and a well-established risk factor for depression, self-harm, and eating disorders. It is also, in principle, modifiable: the school environment, social media, peer culture, and the way weight is discussed in health and educational settings all potentially shape how young people feel about their bodies. This project sets out to understand the scale and nature of the problem among young people aged 13–18, and to lay the groundwork for effective preventative interventions.

Many young people who experience significant body image distress would not describe themselves as unhappy with their weight

The Research

The project has three objectives. The first is to establish the longitudinal relationship between body dissatisfaction and later depression, self-harm, and physical health problems, using existing cohort data from the UK, Ireland, Australia, Japan, and Brazil, including twin datasets that allow genetic and environmental contributions to be separated. A secondary aim within this objective is to examine whether the associations differ by gender or across different ages. The second objective focuses specifically on the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP), which weighs children in Reception and Year 6 in England: by linking NCMP data to GP records and following young people over time, the study will test whether being categorised as having a higher BMI under the programme is associated with later depression, self-harm, eating disorders, or other health problems. The third objective collects new data in schools to investigate which school and society-level factors, beyond social media, including bullying, PE clothing, and how weight is discussed, contribute to body image concerns, with the aim of co-producing both better measurement tools and potential interventions with young people.

My Involvement

I was involved at the pre-funding stage, attending a consultation session as a young person with relevant lived experience to review the research proposal and provide feedback. This involved reflecting on how body dissatisfaction should be measured, what factors are likely to drive it in school settings, what the research might be missing, and how young people could contribute meaningfully to the project if funding is secured. The researcher's goal was to ensure that the proposal was shaped by young people's perspectives before it was submitted.