Body image and self-esteem in adolescent ballet dancers.

Body-image disturbances and low self-esteem have been implicated in the pathogenesis of eating disorders. This study investigated self-perception of body and personality among adolescent ballet dancers in a cross-sectional survey. Two questionnaires assessing "my body right now" and "my personality right now," using semantic differentials were completed by 90 ballet school students and 156 controls.

Age- and gender-related psychological characteristics of adolescent ballet dancers.

Ballet school students (n = 90) aged 11-17 years, and nondancing adolescents (n = 156) aged 13-17 completed the Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI). Significant differences between female dancers and controls were seen in five subscales, with higher scores for the dancers ('Drive for thinness', 'Bulimia', 'Interpersonal distrust', 'Ineffectiveness' and 'Perfectionism'). Their highest scores on most subscales were for the 16-year-olds.

Adolescent ballet school students: their quest for body weight change.

Body mass index (BMI) and body type of female and male adolescent ballet dancers (n = 90) and school students (n = 156) were determined. Participants were asked for the body weight she or he would prefer, and ballet students were administered the Eating Attitudes Test-40 (EAT-40). Results between age groups and with reference values were compared.

The Eating Attitudes Test: comparative analysis of female and male students at the Public Ballet School of Berlin.

Differentiated examination of eating attitudes and behaviours of female and male German ballet school students with particular reference to their age and analysis of common points with and differences from female Anorexia nervosa (A.n.) patients.