Relationships among eating attitudes, body image, self-esteem, and body mass index in adolescents

Introduction: The literature indicates that, during adolescents, body mass index (BMI), self-esteem, and eating attitudes are closely interrelated. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among eating attitudes (EAT), body mass index (BMI), body image discrepancy, and self-esteem in adolescents, and to investigate the effects of gender and age on these variables. Methods: A cross-sectional methodological design was used. The sample consisted of 387 adolescents aged 15–18 years (177 males, 210 females) living in Eskisehir Province. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire, the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26), the Figure Rating Scale (FRS), and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES). BMI was calculated based on participants’ height and weight. Independent-samples t-tests, ANOVA, and Pearson’s correlation analyzes were conducted. Results: Female adolescents reported significantly higher EAT scores than males, whereas male adolescents exhibited higher BMI values. No significant age-related differences were found in EAT, BMI, body image discrepancy, or self-esteem. Correlation analyzes showed that EAT scores were positively associated with body image discrepancy and negatively associated with self-esteem. The strongest association was observed between BMI and body image discrepancy, while BMI was not directly related to EAT or self-esteem. Conclusions: The findings indicate that adolescents' EAT are more strongly associated with psychological factors, particularly body image and self-esteem, than with objective weight status. These results highlight the importance of preventive and intervention strategies that address body image and psychological well-being to promote healthy eating behaviors during adolescence.