Negative body image and weight loss behaviour in Dutch school children.

Background: To assess the prevalence of negative body image and weight loss behaviour among children in primary and secondary school.

Methods: Data were collected during the routine health assessment, in 10,767 children in the 6th grade (9-10 years) of primary school and the 2nd grade (13-14 years) of secondary school in Utrecht, a province in The Netherlands. Weight loss behaviour and body image were assessed during an interview and weight and height were measured.

Results: A total of 7.8% of the boys and 13.9% of the girls of primary school had a negative body image (P < 0.001); 2.9% of the boys and 6.9% girls found themselves too fat, while having a normal body weight (P < 0.001). Weight-loss behaviour is found in 3.7% of the boys and 7.0% of the girls (P < 0.001). At secondary school, 15.8% of the boys and 32.5% of the girls found themselves too fat (P < 0.001). A total of 8.6% of the boys and 27.5% of the girls found themselves too fat, while having a normal body weight (P < 0.001); 4.7% of the boys and 12.9% of the girls with a normal weight showed weight loss behaviour (P < 0.001).

Conclusion: A negative body image and weight loss behaviour were already present in 9- to 10-year-old children and among children with a normal weight in The Netherlands. Among secondary school children (13-14 year), the prevalence of a negative body image and of weight loss behaviour was high, especially for girls. Diagnostic tools are needed for youth health-care workers to detect unnecessary weight loss behaviour.