Monday, July 7, 2008

Cliques and Body Image

I saw this over at Big Fat Blog and then again at The F-Word. This study just came out saying that the "label" that a girl identifies with as a teenager is related to her body image.

"More specifically, girls identifying with athletic peers ('Jocks') were less concerned about their own weight and seemed less likely to be trying to control their weight. Girls identifying with non-conformist peers ('Alternatives') were more concerned about their weight and appearance and more likely to be actively trying to lose weight. The girls who identified with those who skip school and often get into trouble ('Burnouts') believed their peers valued thinness and dieting. Finally, girls who did not belong to any particular peer group were the most likely to use slimming strategies."

I'm not completely sure what I was. Probably a giant nerd, but that isn't mentioned. Out of those 3 options I guess I'll take the non-conformists. I don't remember many of my friends being that obsessed with dieting, honestly. If they were, they didn't talk to me about it. I was, but I dare you to show me a 16-year-old shopping in Lane Bryant who wasn't.

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