Examination of body image among Canadian adolescents: Relations with physical activity and screen time

Background: Adolescence is a period of life associated with self-perceptions of negative body image. Physical activity levels are low and screen time levels are also high during this stage. These perceptions and behaviours are associated with poor health outcomes, making research on their determinants important. With adolescent populations, certain groups may be at higher risk of body dissatisfaction than others, and body dissatisfaction may influence individual physical activity and screen time levels. Objectives: The objectives of this thesis were to: 1) describe body image among young Canadians, examining possible health inequalities 2) estimate the strength and significance of associations between body satisfaction, physical activity and screen time, and 3) examine the potential etiological role of biological sex. Methods: Objective 1: The 2013/2014 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study was employed. Sex-stratified Rao-Scott chi-square analyses were conducted to examine associations between socio-demographic factors and body satisfaction. Objective 2: The 2005/2006 and 2013/2014 cross-sectional and 2006 longitudinal HBSC data sets were used. Sex-stratified modified Poisson regressions were conducted and risk estimates and associated confidence intervals obtained. Results: Objective 1: Among males, being older, of East and Southeast Asian ethnicity, and reporting low SES all were associated with body dissatisfaction. Among females, being older, of Arab and West Asian or African ethnicity, being born in Canada, and reporting low SES were all associated with being body dissatisfied. Objective 2: Cross-sectionally, males who reported ‘too fat’ body dissatisfaction were more likely to be physically inactive. Adolescents of both sexes who reported ‘too fat’ body dissatisfaction were more likely to engage in high levels of screen time. Data from the longitudinal component supported the idea that male ‘too fat’ body dissatisfaction temporally leads to physical inactivity, but showed an inverse relationship between body dissatisfaction and screen time. Conclusions: Objective 1: Future prevention efforts in Canada should target subgroups to effectively help those at greatest risk of body dissatisfaction, and ameliorate potential inequalities at the population level. Objective 2: The presence of these relationships may inform future interventions as part of a multi-factorial etiology, in order to increase physical activity and decrease screen time among youth.

Bodies in Nature: Associations between Exposure to Nature, Connectedness to Nature, and Body Image

Here, we sought to replicate previous work showing a relationship between connectedness to nature and body appreciation, and extend it by examining associations between exposure to natural environments and other body image-related variables. An online sample of 399 U.S. women and men (Mage = 34.55 years) completed measures of body appreciation, connectedness to nature, nature exposure, appearance investment, sociocultural attitudes toward appearance, and self-esteem. Path analysis showed that nature exposure and connectedness to nature, respectively, were associated with body appreciation in women and men, both directly and indirectly via self-esteem. Connectedness to nature also mediated the link between nature exposure and body appreciation. In men, but not women, the link between connectedness to nature and body appreciation was also mediated by appearance investment and internalisation of a muscular ideal. These results may point to novel methods for promoting more positive body image in adults through engagement with nature.

Art and the Body Image: about Self and Stereotypes

Today's man is socially absorbed by problematic body issues and everything that this means and involves. Literature, publicity, science, technology and medicine compound these issues in a form of this theme that has never been seen before. In the artistic framework, body image is constantly suffering modifications. Body image in sculpture unfolds itself, assuming different messages and different forms. The body is a synonym of subject, an infinite metaphorical history of our looks, desires, that leads one to interrogate his/her image and social and sexual relations. These are understood as a manifestation of individual desires freed from a moral and social imposition. It attempts a return to profound human nature before we are turned into a cloning industry. In thisstudy it isimportant for usto understand in which form doessculpture reflect body image as a sociocultural and psychological phenomenon within the coordinates of our time. To understand how they represent and what artists represent in sculpture as a multiple and complex structure of human sexuality. Today, the sculptural body, expanding its representation, no longer as a reproduction of the corporal characteristics, presents the body in what it possesses of most intimate, unique, human and real, that moves, reacts, feels, suffers and pulsates, a mirror of us all.

Sexual self-awareness and body Image

broadly describes the internal representations of the body structure and the physical appearance of the individual in regards him/herself and others. Sexual self-awareness (ACS) can be understood as the evaluation that each of us makes of his/her feelings and actions related to his/her sexuality and sexual behaviour, describing what each of us thinks about sex and what we feel about behaviours. Objective: Identify dimensions of sexual self-awareness and body image in sexual satisfaction of the young. Methods Correlational descriptive study, a convenience sample of 84 students of a health school (29.8 % male, 20.2 % female), with ages between 19 and 34 years. As data collection instrument a poll through questionnaire, incorporating a Body Image Satisfaction and a Multidimensional Sexual Self-awareness scale, was used. Results The majority of the sample subjects indicate having a partner (59.5 %), perceive themselves as having the ideal weight (75.0 %), the ideal height (65.5 %) and a normal appearance (76.2 %). Globally a high and statistically significant ACS was observed (t-Student = 12.520; GL = 83; p-value < 0.001) and significant statistical differences exist between having/not having a partner and the ACS (Student t = 2,965; GL = 82; p-value = 0.004) showing that those who mention having a partner have a higher average ACS (average = 3.812; SD = 0.412) compared to those without (average = 3.496; SD = 0.563). No statistically significant correlations were observed between ACS and Body Image.

Valoración de la composición corporal y de la percepción de la imagen en un grupo de mujeres universitarias del País Vasco

Este trabajo se encuentra bajo la licencia Creative Commons Attribution 3.0.

Risk-taking behaviours in adolescent boys and girls : sexuality and dietary health

This study examined adolescents' reported sexual and dietary health-risk behaviours and perceptions. Specifically, this study analyzed the data of 600 students (300 male~ 300 female) in grades 9, I 1, and OAC (mean, standard deviation). The mean age of the students in the sample is 16 with a standard deviation of 1.6. The study was a secondary analysis ofthe first-year data of a 3-year longitudinal study conducted by Youth Lifestyle Choices-Community University Research Alliance (YLC-CURA) on adolescents. To explore sexuality and dietary health, this study purposefully selected sections of the survey that represented sex and dieting behaviours of adolescents. Separate gender and age data analyses revealed different patterns among the variables. Specifically., findings revealed that adolescents who engaged in recent sexual activities were more likely to have a relatively more positive body image perception and were relatively more likely to engage in disordered eating. Across both genders and 3 age levels, adolescents reported that despite their unhealthy dietary habits they felt that dieting was not a high-risk behaviour. Results were discussed in terms of educational implication for sexual health programs.

Transition nutritionnelle et double fardeau de la malnutrition chez des adultes de Ouagadougou au Burkina Faso (Afrique de l’Ouest)

Cette étude s’inscrit dans le cadre du projet « Pôle francophone africain sur le Double Fardeau Nutritionnel » (DFN) du laboratoire TRANSNUT, centre collaborateur OMS sur la transition nutritionnelle du Département de Nutrition de l’Université de Montréal, en collaboration avec ses partenaires au Burkina Faso, à savoir l’Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé (IRSS) et l’Institut Supérieur des Sciences de la Population (ISSP). Elle est l’une des premières à s’intéresser au double fardeau de la malnutrition en Afrique francophone. Cette étude avait pour objectif de démontrer l’existence du double fardeau de la malnutrition parmi les adultes de Ouagadougou au Burkina Faso, d’en donner l’ampleur et d’identifier ses liens avec les facteurs du mode de vie. Plus spécifiquement, elle visait à décrire les carences nutritionnelles, les facteurs de risque cardiométabolique (FRCM), et la typologie du double fardeau de la malnutrition; examiner les caractéristiques du mode de vie des adultes et leurs liens avec le double fardeau de la malnutrition selon les conditions économique, et enfin d’examiner l’association entre inflammation subclinique, les carences nutritionnelles et les FRCM selon les facteurs du mode de vie. Ces objectifs faisaient suite à nos principales hypothèses qui stipulaient que : parmi les adultes de Ouagadougou, le phénotype de double fardeau de la malnutrition le plus fréquemment observé est l’association de surpoids/obésité avec une ou plusieurs carences nutritionnelles, surtout chez les femmes, puis qu’une alimentation de piètre qualité, en lien avec de mauvaises conditions socioéconomiques et de vie est associée tant aux FRCM qu’aux carences nutritionnelles, contribuant ainsi au double fardeau de malnutrition, et enfin qu’un état d’inflammation subclinique joue un rôle de médiateur entre le mode de vie et aussi bien les carences nutritionnelles que les FRCM. Afin de répondre à ces objectifs, une étude transversale descriptive et analytique a été conduite auprès d’un échantillon aléatoire de 330 adultes âgés de 25 à 60 ans recrutés au sein de l’Observatoire de Population de Ouagadougou, situé à la partie nord de la ville. Cet échantillon a été subdivisé en terciles du score de possessions matérielles, proxy du statut socioéconomique, avec 110 personnes respectivement dans chaque strate de niveau socioéconomique bas, moyen et élevé. Chaque participant a fourni des données sociodémographiques, anthropométriques, cliniques et comportementales; il a aussi fourni un échantillon de sang. Les principales variables de l’étude étaient les suivantes : l’âge, les conditions socioéconomiques (insécurité alimentaire, éducation et proxy du revenu), le mode de vie (les apports alimentaires et la qualité de l’alimentation, l’activité physique, la consommation d’alcool et de tabac, la perception de l’image corporelle, le stress psychosocial); l’inflammation subclinique; les FRCM [surpoids/obésité, tension artérielle élevée (TAE) ou hypertension artérielle (HTA), hyperglycémie, dyslipidémie et insulino-résistance]; les carences nutritionnelles (maigreur, anémie, carence en fer et en vitamine A). Des phénotypes de double fardeau de la malnutrition ont été identifiés en combinant FRCM et carences nutritionnelles. Les résultats ont montré une prévalence élevée de surpoids/obésité, d’obésité abdominale, d’hypertension artérielle, d’hyperglycémie, de résistance à l’insuline et du taux de lipoprotéine de haute densité (HDL-C) bas, respectivement de 24,2 %, 12,5 %, 21,9 %, 22,3 %, 25,1 % et 30,0 %. En utilisant les seuils plus sensibles de la Fédération Internationale du Diabète (FID), l’obésité abdominale, la tension artérielle élevée (TAE), l’hyperglycémie était respectivement de 23,5 %; 36,1 % et 34,5 %. Des carences nutritionnelles étaient également présentes, l’anémie, la carence en fer et en vitamine A, ainsi que la maigreur atteignant respectivement 25,5 %, 15,4 %, 12,7 % et 9,7 % de la population étudiée. Les femmes étaient significativement plus touchées que les hommes autant par les FRCM que par les carences nutritionnelles. Le double fardeau de la malnutrition touchait 23,5 % des personnes et même 25,8 % avec les seuils de la FID pour l’obésité abdominale, la TAE, et l’hyperglycémie. Les deux principaux phénotypes observés étaient : l’association de « surpoids/obésité avec au moins une carence en micronutriment », touchant 7,8 % (11,8 % ♀ vs. 3,4 % ♂) des personnes et l’association d’au moins un FRCM autre que le surpoids/obésité avec au moins une carence en micronutriment, qui touchait 9.0 % (12,4 % ♀ vs. 5,4 % ♂) des personnes. La prévalence de ces phénotypes était plus élevée en utilisant les seuils de la FID plutôt que les seuils de l’OMS. Près de 72,9 % des personnes ou 81,2 % (seuils de la FID) avaient au moins un FRCM. Nous avons identifié à partir de l’analyse typologique, deux schémas alimentaires; « urbain » et « traditionnel », dans cette étude. Les carences nutritionnelles étaient davantage associées au schéma alimentaire « traditionnel », alors que les FRCM se retrouvaient dans les deux schémas alimentaires. Le schéma « urbain » regroupait significativement plus d’hommes et de personnes de niveau socioéconomique élevé, alors que les personnes de niveau socioéconomique bas et les femmes étaient proportionnellement plus nombreuses dans le schéma « traditionnel ». Le temps dévolu aux activités sédentaires était significativement plus important que celui consacré aux activités d’intensité modérée à vigoureuse. L’activité physique était inversement associée à l’indice de masse corporelle (IMC), au tour de taille (TT), à la masse grasse corporelle, à la tension artérielle systolique (TAS) et diastolique (TAD), à la triglycéridémie et au taux de lipoprotéine de faible densité (LDL-C). L’IMC et le TT augmentaient en outre avec le temps de sédentarité. Ainsi, le double fardeau de malnutrition était associé au statut socioéconomique bas, au sexe féminin et à la sédentarité. Nous avons aussi trouvé que 39,4 % des personnes avaient une inflammation subclinique qui était associée de façon indépendante et positive à la ferritinémie, à l’IMC, au TT et à la masse grasse corporelle, et négativement au HDL-C. L’exploration du stress psychosocial et de l’image corporelle a révélé une association entre le stress psychosocial, l’HTA et une perception positive de l’embonpoint. Les personnes ayant peut-être accusé un retard de croissance à l’enfance (d’après l’indice de Cormic) étaient significativement plus touchées par le surpoids/obésité, l’obésité abdominale et la résistance à l’insuline. Ces résultats nous ont permis d’atteindre nos objectifs, mais aussi de vérifier nos hypothèses de recherche. Comme on peut le constater, les FRCM sont une réalité à Ouagadougou, qui se compliquent par leur coexistence avec des carences en micronutriments dont la prévalence est tout aussi importante. Une transition nutritionnelle est en cours dans cette ville et contribue au bouleversement des comportements alimentaires et du style de vie favorisant l’émergence de ce double fardeau, dans un contexte où le passé nutritionnel de la population offre des conditions idéales pour un niveau de risque particulièrement élevé pour ces FRCM. Cependant, l’évolution de cette prévalence pourrait être inversée ou tout au moins ralentie si des actions étaient entreprises dès maintenant.

Percepção da imagem corporal em mulheres com depressão

Pós-graduação em Psicologia do Desenvolvimento e Aprendizagem - FC

Percepção de dimensões corporais de adolescentes do sexo feminino: aspectos psicofísicos e comportamentais

Pós-graduação em Ciências da Motricidade - IBRC

Investigation on Heart Rate Variability (HRV) and psycho-social-affective adjustment in Italian women with ovarian cancer

INTRODUZIONE: L’integrazione mente-corpo applicata ad un ambito patologico predominante in questi tempi, come il cancro, è il nucleo di questa tesi. Il background teorico entro cui è inserita, è quello della Psiconeuroendocrinoimmunologia (Bottaccioli, 1995) e Psico-Oncologia. Sono state identificate, nella letteratura scientifica, le connessioni tra stati psicologici (mente) e condizioni fisiologiche (corpo). Le variabili emerse come potenzialmente protettive in pazienti che si trovano ad affrontare il cancro sono: il supporto sociale, l’immagine corporea, il coping e la Qualità della Vita, insieme all’indice fisiologico Heart Rate Variability (HRV; Shaffer & Venner, 2013). Il potenziale meccanismo della connessione tra queste variabili potrebbe essere spiegato dall’azione del Nervo Vago, come esposto nella Teoria Polivagale di Stephen Porges (2007; 2009). OBIETTIVI: Gli obiettivi principali di questo studio sono: 1. Valutare l’adattamento psicologico alla patologia in termini di supporto sociale percepito, immagine corporea, coping prevalente e qualità della vita in donne con cancro ovarico; 2. Valutare i valori di base HRV in queste donne; 3. Osservare se livelli più elevati di HRV sono associati ad un migliore adattamento psicologico alla patologia; 4. Osservare se una peggiore percezione dell’immagine corporea e l’utilizzo di strategie di coping disadattive sono associate ad una Qualità della Vita più scarsa. METODO: 38 donne affette da cancro ovarico, al momento della valutazione libere da patologia, sono state reclutate presso la clinica oncologica del reparto di Ginecologia dell’Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Parma, Italia. Ad ogni partecipante è stato chiesto di compilare una batteria di test composta da: MSPSS, per la valutazione del supporto sociale percepito; DAS-59, per la valutazione dell’immagine corporea; MAC, per la valutazione delle strategie di coping prevalenti utilizzate verso il cancro; EORTC-QLQ30, per la valutazione della Qualità della Vita. Per ogni partecipante è stato registrato HRV di base utilizzando lo strumento emWave (HeartMath). RISULTATI PRINCIPALI: Rispondendo agli obiettivi 1 e 2, in queste donne si è rilevato una alto tasso di supporto sociale percepito, in particolare ricevuto dalla persona di riferimento. L’area rivelatasi più critica nel supporto sociale è quella degli amici. Per quanto riguarda l’immagine corporea, la porzione di campione dai 30 ai 61 anni, ha delle preoccupazioni globali legate all’immagine corporea paragonabili ai dati provenienti dalla popolazione generale con preoccupazioni riguardo l’aspetto corporeo. Invece, nella porzione di campione dai 61 anni in su, il pattern di disagio verso l’aspetto fisico sembra decisamente peggiorare. Inoltre, in questo campione, si è rilevato un disagio globale verso l’immagine corporea significativamente più alto rispetto ai valori normativi presenti in letteratura riferiti a donne con cancro al seno con o senza mastectomia (rispettivamente t(94)= -4.78; p<0.000001; t(110)= -6.81;p<0.000001). La strategia di coping più utilizzata da queste donne è lo spirito combattivo, seguito dal fatalismo. Questo campione riporta, inoltre, una Qualità della Vita complessivamente soddisfacente, con un buon livello di funzionamento sociale. L’area di funzionalità più critica risulta essere il funzionamento emotivo. Considerando i sintomi prevalenti, i più riferiti sono affaticamento, disturbi del sonno e dolore. Per definire, invece, il pattern HRV, sono stati confrontati i dati del campione con quelli presenti in letteratura, riguardanti donne con cancro ovarico. Il campione valutato in questo studio, ha un HRV SDNN (Me=28.2ms) significativamente più alto dell’altro gruppo. Tuttavia, confrontando il valore medio di questo campione con i dati normativi sulla popolazione sana (Me=50ms), i nostri valori risultano drasticamente più bassi. In ultimo, donne che hanno ricevuto diagnosi di cancro ovarico in età fertile, sembrano avere maggiore HRV, migliore funzionamento emotivo e minore sintomatologia rispetto alle donne che hanno ricevuto diagnosi non in età fertile. Focalizzando l’attenzione sulla ricerca di relazioni significative tra le variabili in esame (obiettivo 3 e 4) sono state trovate numerose correlazioni significative tra: l’età e HRV, supporto percepito , Qualità della Vita; Qualità della Vita e immagine corporea, supporto sociale, strategie di coping; strategie di coping e immagine corporea, supporto sociale; immagine corporea e supporto sociale; HRV e supporto sociale, Qualità della Vita. Per verificare la possibile connessione causale tra le variabili considerate, sono state applicate regressioni lineari semplici e multiple per verificare la bontà del modello teorico. Si è rilevato che HRV è significativamente positivamente influenzata dal supporto percepito dalla figura di riferimento, dal funzionamento di ruolo, dall’immagine corporea totale. Invece risulta negativamente influenzata dal supporto percepito dagli amici e dall’uso di strategie di coping evitanti . La qualità della vita è positivamente influenzata da: l’immagine corporea globale e l’utilizzo del fatalismo come strategia di coping prevalente. Il funzionamento emotivo è influenzato dal supporto percepito dalla figura di riferimento e dal fatalismo. DISCUSSIONI E CONCLUSIONI: Il campione Italiano valutato, sembra essere a metà strada nell’adattamento dello stato psicologico e dell’equilibrio neurovegetativo al cancro. Sicuramente queste donne vivono una vita accettabile, in quanto sopravvissute al cancro, ma sembra anche che portino con sé preoccupazioni e difficoltà, in particolare legate all’accettazione della loro condizione di sopravvissute. Infatti, il migliore adattamento si riscontra nelle donne che hanno avuto peggiori condizioni in partenza: stadio del cancro avanzato, più giovani, con diagnosi ricevuta in età fertile. Pertanto, è possibile suggerire che queste condizioni critiche forzino queste donne ad affrontare apertamente il cancro e la loro situazione di sopravvissute al cancro, portandole ad “andare avanti” piuttosto che “tornare indietro”. Facendo riferimento alle connessioni tra variabili psicologiche e fisiologiche in queste donne, si è evidenziato che HRV è influenzata dalla presenza di figure significative ma, in particolare, è presumibile che sia influenzata da un’appropriata condivisione emotiva con queste figure. Si è anche evidenziato che poter continuare ad essere efficaci nel proprio contesto personale si riflette in un maggiore HRV, probabilmente in quanto permette di preservare il senso di sé, riducendo in questo modo lo stress derivante dall’esperienza cancro. Pertanto, HRV in queste donne risulta associato con un migliore adattamento psicologico. Inoltre, si è evidenziato che in queste donne la Qualità della Vita è profondamente influenzata dalla percezione dell’immagine corporea. Si tratta di un aspetto innovativo che è stato rilevato in questo campione e che, invece, nei precedenti studi non è stato indagato. In ultimo, la strategia di coping fatalismo sembra essere protettiva e sembra facilitare il processo di accettazione del cancro. Si spera sinceramente che le ricerche future possano superare i limiti del presente studio, come la scarsa numerosità e l’uso di strumenti di valutazione che, per alcuni aspetti come la scala Evitamento nel MAC, non centrano totalmente il target di indagine. Le traiettorie future di questo studio sono: aumentare il numero di osservazioni, reclutando donne in diversi centri specialistici in diverse zone d’Italia; utilizzare strumenti più specifici per valutare i costrutti in esame; valutare se un intervento di supporto centrato sul miglioramento di HRV (come HRV Biofeedback) può avere una ricaduta positiva sull’adattamento emotivo e la Qualità della Vita.

Prevalence and magnitude of body weight and image dissatisfaction among women in dietetics majors

[EN] Some authors have suggested that body weight dissatisfaction may be high in students majoring in dietetics. Therefore, this study was conducted to examine the extent of body weight and image dissatisfaction in a sample of women in dietetics major. Additionally, predictors of magnitude of body weight dissatisfaction were analyzed. Participants were 62 volunteers with normalweight whose mean age was 21.87±1.89 years old (nonrandom sample). The assessment instruments included anthropometric measurements, a somatomorphic matrix test and an eating disorders inventory (EDI-2). Data were analyzed using SPSS vs. 15.0. A larger proportion of students chose an ideal body weight lower than actual weight (67.7%) and body image with less body fat and more muscle mass than actual values (56.4%). The magnitude of body weight dissatisfaction was associated with muscle mass and body fat dissatisfaction, and with the subscale of EDI-2 “body dissatisfaction”. So, from a public health standpoint, we consider important to continue working in this line of research with the aim of better understanding the extent of body weight dissatisfaction in women dietitians, and how this dissatisfaction could interfere with their professional practice.

Distortion of self-image: risk factor for obesity in children and teenagers

Introduction: Self-image is important in the behaviour and lifestyle of children and adolescents. Analysing the self-image they have and the factors that might influence their distortion, can be used to prevent problems of obesity and anorexia. The main objective of present publication was to analyse the risk factors that may contribute to self-image distortion. Material and Methods: A descriptive survey study was conducted among 659 children and adolescents in two social classes (low and medium-high), measuring height and weight, calculating BMI percentile for age and gender. Body image and self-perception were registered. Results: The percentage of overweight-obesity is higher in scholars (41.8% boys, 28.7% girls) than in adolescents (30.1% and 22.2% respectively), with no difference between socioeconomic classes. The multinomial logistic regression analysis gives a risk of believing thinner higher (p=0.000) among boys OR=2.9(95%CI:1.43-3.37), school (p=0.000) OR=2.42(95%CI:1.56-3.76) and much lower (p=0.000) between normally nourished OR=0.08(95%CI:0.05-0.13), with no differences according to socioeconomic status. The risk of believing fatter is lower (p=0.000) between boys OR=0.28(95%CI:0.14-0.57), school(p=0.072) OR=0.54(95%CI:0.27-1.6), and much higher among underweight (p=0.000) OR=9x108(95% CI:4x108-19x108). Conclusions: Are risk factors of believing thinner: males, being in a group of schoolchildren and overweight-obesity. Conversely, are risk factors of believing fatter: females, teen and above all, be thin.

Associations among body size dissatisfaction, perceived dietary control, and diet history in African American and European American women

European American (EA) women report greater body dissatisfaction and less dietary control than do African American (AA) women. This study investigated whether ethnic differences in dieting history contributed to differences in body dissatisfaction and dietary control, or to differential changes that may occur during weight loss and regain. Eighty-nine EA and AA women underwent dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry to measure body composition and completed questionnaires to assess body dissatisfaction and dietary control before, after, and one year following, a controlled weight-loss intervention. While EA women reported a more extensive dieting history than AA women, this difference did not contribute to ethnic differences in body dissatisfaction and perceived dietary control. During weight loss, body satisfaction improved more for AA women, and during weight regain, dietary self-efficacy worsened to a greater degree for EA women. Ethnic differences in dieting history did not contribute significantly to these differential changes. Although ethnic differences in body image and dietary control are evident prior to weight loss, and some change differentially by ethnic group during weight loss and regain, differences in dieting history do not contribute significantly to ethnic differences in body image and dietary control.