Assessment of body image perception in adolescents

Introduction: Adolescence is a period of several physical changes, which due to the influence of the media and idealized images of bodies can also be a period in which adolescents develop different eating disorders. Objective: To evaluate the perception of body image in adolescents. Material and methods: The sample consisted of 44 adolescents from the Conego Paulo Monteiro State School in Sao Joao da Mata-MG. Height and weight were measured using a tape measure and mechanical scale. After obtaining the anthropometric data, BMI (Body Mass Index) was calculated. To analyze the body image of the adolescents, the Stunkard Scale was used. Results: Among the 44 adolescents surveyed, there was a prevalence of females, representing 59.09%, with an average age of 15 years. Most weighed around 60 kg and had an average height of 1.65 m. Only one of the adolescents participating in the survey declared smoking and 86.36% declared to practice physical activities. The body mass index (BMI) obtained from the measured height and weight of the participants was 22.09 kg / m(2) on average. Regarding body image, the predominance of responses was related to the silhouettes of eutrophic individuals. Discussion: When correlating self-perception with nutritional status, there was no distortion of reality. Conclusion: From the data obtained with the current research, it can be concluded that most participating adolescents do not present body image distortion. The evaluated sample did not show any significant results indicating distortion in body image and dissatisfaction with it and, according to the initial hypotheses of the research, they were contradicted.