Body image: differences and similarities between Colombian and Dutch teenagers
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17533/udea.penh.9350Keywords:
body image, food habits, cross-cultural comparison, mass media, power (psychology), interpersonal relations, adolescentAbstract
Objective: to explore the relationship between eating patterns and body image perception in two different cultural adolescent groups, one from Colombia and the other one from Dutch. Methods: this is a qualitative study, participants were teenager women recruited, eight from Medellin nine from Amsterdam; the data was collected in both groups, a survey was applied first to focal groups and then to individuals willing to talk about their eating patterns and other practices related to their body image perception. Results: Netherlands and Colombia could be considered Western countries but there are some differences, in the way that adolescent girls perceive the body image and how they have to deal with the social pressure on them to get the ideal body. The body ideal image promoted by publicity media in both countries is almost the same; but in Colombia, adolescents use their bodies as a manner to get power and control and their families and peers put more pressure on them than in the Netherlands. Conclusions: teenagers perceive the ideal body as a symbol to have power and control and to get identity. Studying the same issue in two different cultures, allow to social health programs get the real idea about adolescent behaviors in order to make changes accord to the cultural settings.
Downloads
References
Van Dongen E. La forza dell’anoressia. Resistenza, energia e controllo. AM Riv Soc Italia Antropol Med. 2000;9/10:59-81.
McElhone S, Kearney JM, Giachetti I, Zunft HJ, Martinez JA. Body image perception in relation to recent weight changes and strategies for weight loss in a nationally representative sample in the European Union. Public Health Nutr. 1999;2:143-51.
Jansen A, Nederkoorn C, Mulkens S. Selective visual attention for beautiful and ugly body parts in eating disordered subjects. Behav Res Ther. 2005;43:183-96.
Ramírez L, Moreno S, Yepes M, Pérez G, Posada AC, Roldan L. Prevalencia de anorexibulimia en mujeres adolescentes de Medellín. Medellín: Universidad de Antioquia; Dirección Seccional de Salud de Antioquia; 2003.
Uribe JF. Las prácticas alimentarias relacionadas con la búsqueda del ideal corporal. El caso de la ciudad de Medellín (Colombia). Bol Antropol. 2006;20:227-50. URL: http://publicaciones.cucsh.udg.mx/pperiod/laventan/Ventana14/14-2.pdf. Fecha de acceso:1 Octubre 2007.
Cortés HD, Díaz A, Mejía C, Mesa JG. Trastornos de la alimentación: su prevalencia y principales factores de riesgo: estudiantes universitarias de primer y segundo año. Rev CES Medicina. 2003;17:33-45.
López A, Duque B, Camacho J, Aristizábal JC, Restrepo MT. Dimensión salud. En: Arboleda R. El cuerpo en boca de los adolescentes. Estudio Interdisciplinario de la cultura somática de los adolescentes. Armenia: Kinesis, 2002. p.99-153.
Nitcher M, Vuckovic N. Fat talk: body image among adolescent girls. In: body image and social relations. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press; 1994; p.105-31.
Arango L, Ochoa AM. El culto al cuerpo y sus implicaciones en la salud mental. [Tesis de Especialista en Psicología Clínica Énfasis Salud Mental] Medellín: Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana. Facultad de Psicología; 2000.
Scheper-Hughes N, Lock M. The mindful body: a prolegomenon to future work in medical anthropology. In: The art of medical anthropology: readings. Amsterdam: Het Spinhuis; 1998; p. 347-68.
Visser M. Food and culture: interconnections. Soc Res. 1999;66:118-30.
Burns M, Gavey N. Healthy weight at what cost? Bulimia and a discourse of weight control. J Health Psychol. 2004;9:549-65.
Williams P. Health as moral performance: ritual, transgression and taboo. Health. 1998;2:435-57.
Videon TM, Manning CK. Influences on adolescent eating patterns: the importance of family meals. J Adolesc Health. 2003;32:365-73.
Patrick H, Nicklas TA. A review of family and social determinants of children’s eating patterns and diet quality. J Am Coll Nutr. 2005;24:83-92.
Davis C, Claridge G, Fox J. Not just a pretty face: physical attractiveness and perfectionism in the risk for eating disorders. Int J Eat Disord. 2000;27:67-73.
Gracia M, Aprender a comer: el (re)establecimiento de la normalidad dietética en los trastornos del comportamiento alimentario. Archipiélago. 2006;14:71-7.
Carlson D, Vigfusdottir TH, Lee, Y. Body image and the appearance culture among adolescent girls and boys: an examination of friend conversations, peer criticism, appearance magazines, and the internalization of appearance ideals. J Adolesc Res. 2004;19:323-39.
Helman C. Culture, health and illness. New York: Oxford University Press; 2000.
Arboleda R. El cuerpo en boca de los adolescentes. Estudio Interdisciplinario de la cultura somática de los adolescentes. Armenia: Kinesis; 2002.
Seppä A. The aesthetic subject. exploring the usefulness of Foucauldian tools in feminism. [Doctoral Dissertation]. Helsinki: University of Helsinki. Faculty of Arts. Department of Aesthetics; 2003.
Jones D. Social comparison and body image: attractiveness comparisons to models and peers among adolescent girls and boys. Sex Roles. 2001;45(9/10):645-64.
López E, Vélez B. La puesta en escena de la corporalidad femenina y masculina en la escuela urbana: linda como una muñeca y fuerte como un campeón. Rev Est Género [Revista en línea] 2001;14:83-101.
(27) Benton D. Role of parents in the determination of the food preferences of children and the development of obesity. Int J Obes. 2004;28:858-69.
Sault N. Many mirrors: body image and social relations. New Brunswisk, NJ: Rutgers University Press; 1994.
Bourdieu P. Masculine domination. Cambridge: Polity Press; 2001.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Derechos de autor 2024 Universidad de Antioquia
