Agony of teenagers who fear they’re fat

SCOTLAND is in the grip of a ‘culture of eating disorders’ amid worrying figures on youngsters’ views about body image.

The number of 15-year-olds who think they are too fat is among the highest in Europe, yet nearly one in ten girls are underweight.

The latest international health behaviour in school-aged children study also found Scots youngsters often ranked among the worst for drinking alcohol, having unprotected sex and feeling pressured by school work.

The study, led by researchers at the universities of Glasgow and St Andrews, compiles extensive data on the health behaviours, social relationships and mental well-being of 227,441 schoolchildren aged 11-15, from 45 countries in Europe and Canada.

It found that among 15-yearolds, Scottish youngsters were second highest after those in Poland for thinking themselves to be ‘too fat’. A total of 48 per cent of girls and 29 per cent of boys thought this, despite the fact 9 per cent of girls – the highest in Europe – and 5 per cent of boys in Scotland are underweight.

Scotland was fifth highest for alcohol use, with the number of 15-year-olds who have been drunk at least twice at one third for girls and 29 per cent for boys.

It was sixth highest for school stress, with 74 per cent of 15-yearold girls and 53 per cent of 15-yearold boys feeling pressurised by school work. When asked about whether or not they used contraception, only 31 per cent of Scotland’s 15-year-olds had done so the last time they had sex, the 12th highest rate of unprotected sex in the study.

More than a quarter of Scottish children are overweight or obese. But experts are becoming increasingly concerned about the number who are underweight.

The study also found that Scotland scored eighth highest in the number of 15-year-olds with ‘problematic’ social media use, which is defined as using phones or tablets so much it has a negative impact on the quality of life.

A total of 14 per cent of girls and 11 per cent of boys fell into this category in Scotland. Social media use, particularly that involving looking at other people’s appearances, has been linked to poor body image.

Lead author of the study Dr Jo Inchley, from the MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit at Glasgow University, said: ‘We must take this message seriously, as good mental health is an essential part of healthy adolescence.

‘Although many young people are less likely to be drinking and smoking or consuming sugary snacks compared with previous survey years, this study highlights a number of concerns.’

A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘We want young people to grow up in Scotland with support for issues that they say matter to them. The report raises a number of issues, some of which strongly mirror our research.’