New research shows how platforms like YouTube and Snapchat amplify body dissatisfaction among youth, with sociodemographic factors adding to the challenge—highlighting the need for targeted global solutions.
By Hugo Francisco de Souza, News Medical & Life Sciences, Image: Kaspars Grinvalds / Shutterstock, January 12, 2025
In a recent study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, researchers investigated the prevalence of body weight dissatisfaction among youth from several (n = 6) countries and its association with social media use and sociodemographics.
The study sample comprised 21,277 youth (ages = 10-17) cross-sectionally evaluated during the International Food Policy Study Youth Survey (2019-2020).
Multinomial logistic regression analyses revealed that 45% of participants were satisfied with their body size, while 35% of participants believed they were "larger than ideal," and 20% thought they were "thinner than ideal," with Chile (42%) and Mexico (22%) representing the worst affected, respectively.
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