The Relationship Between Diet Quality and the Body Image

Are you trying to be like your favorite movie star? 

You must read this;the general assumption is that teenagers are highly conscious about their body image and structure and they strive hard in maintaining it.

If you question any teenagers about the types of measures s/he take in order to maintain good body image, the obvious answer would be ‘I follow a particular singer, dancer or actor as a role model’ or  ‘I try to imitate their dress, hair, or body language’ would be the immediate answer.

What does research say about it?

Studying the dietary habits of the adolescents of the Balearic Islands of the Mediterranean region, researchers Maria del Mar Bibiloni, Antoni Pons and Josep A Tu have found a profound relationship between the quality of diet they consume and their physical activity.

Traditionally, the Mediterranean diet is rich in vegetables, fruits, cereals, nuts and olive oil with moderate consumption of sea food, meat and dairy products. They also consume processed meat, food rich in sugars and fats with regular but moderate consumption of wine with food.

The youngsters aged 12-17 years were included in this study and the researchers found enormous changes in the dietary patterns of these youngsters and its impact on their body image. Socioeconomic status of the family and the parent’s education level has direct impact on the type of diet consumed by the teenager. Apart from this, amount of physical activity and the time spent in front of TV matters a lot in attaining a great body shape and image.

The study concluded that the increasing numbers of child obesity cases are registered thanks to the change in the dietary habits like consumption of junk food and sedentary lifestyles.