Adolescence and Body Image ─ From Development to Preventing Dissatisfaction

Adolescence is a notoriously challenging period for a range of issues, but coming to terms with how we look can be the most difficult. During a time of immense biological and social change, dissatisfaction with body image is one of the most pervasive concerns affecting young people world-wide, permeating all aspects of a youngster's life, from family and school to their broader social identity. Often reinforced by peer culture and an endless stream of media messages, anxieties relating to body image can be crippling across both genders, their debilitating effects sometimes leading to mental health problems.

This important book is the first of its kind to assess the biological, psychological and socio-cultural factors that lead to concerns with body image among adolescents, and the measures that can be taken to address them. Discussing the role of family relationships, individual self-esteem and school context in stimulating a negative body image, the book also examines the wider media messages that adolescents react to, as well as the different challenges faced by girls and boys as they grow. Eating disorders and body change strategies are also addressed, as well as the challenges faced by youngsters affected by conditions causing visible differences, such as hair loss in cancer patients.

Published as part of the Routledge Adolescence and Society series, the book is ideal reading for researchers and undergraduate students from a variety of fields, including developmental and social psychology, sociology, and cultural and health studies. Professionals working with young people, whether in education, health promotion or any other allied discipline will also find this book an invaluable resource.

Lina Ricciardelli is a Senior Researcher and Lecturer in the School of Psychology at Deakin University, Australia.

Zali Yager is a Senior Lecturer in the College of Education at Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia.