Etiology of body dissatisfaction and weight concerns among 5-year-old girls

Among adolescent girls and women, higher weight status is associated with greater body dissatisfaction and weight concerns. This study investigated the etiology of body dissatisfaction and weight concerns among 5-year-old girls by assessing associations among girlsʹ and parentsʹ weight status, body dissatisfaction, and weight concerns. Weight status, body dissatisfaction, and weight concerns were assessed for 197 5-year-old girls and their parents, and relationships among these variables were investigated using multiple regression in the form of path analysis. For girls and parents, higher weight status was associated with greater body dissatisfaction, which in turn was associated with higher weight concerns. No direct relationship was found between girlsʹ weight status and girlsʹ weight concerns. Girlsʹ body dissatisfaction and mothersʹ weight concerns, however, were independently and positively associated with higher weight concerns among girls. In conclusion, relationships among weight status, body dissatisfaction, and weight concerns for 5-year-old girls parallel those reported among adults. In addition, results suggest that the etiology of weight concerns in young girls may be linked to girlsʹ subjective evaluations of their weight status (body dissatisfaction) in combination with weight concerns expressed by their mothers.