Fear of Being Skinny Places Teen Boys at Risk for Depression

Which is worse for teen boys--thinking they're too skinny or too heavy? Researchers have taken a closer look and have found that teens who think that they're too skinny when they are actually a healthy weight are at greater risk of being depressed as teens and as adults when compared to other boys.

"These studies highlight the often underreported issue of distorted body image among adolescent boys," said Aaron Blashill, one of the researchers, in a news release. "Teenage girls tend to internalize and strive for a thin appearance, whereas teenage boys tend to emphasize a more muscular body type. We found that some of these boys who feel they are unable to achieve that often unattainable image are suffering and may be taking drastic measures."

In order to better assess how teen boys react to body weight, the researchers examined two large, nationally representative samples of teenage boys in the U.S. The first sample included 2,139 boys who were about 16 years old in 1996 at the beginning of the study and were followed for 13 years. In this study, boys who perceived themselves as being underweight, but were actually average weight, reported the highest level of depressive symptoms. This was constant throughout the course of the study, which ended when the participants were close to 30 years of age.

That's not all the researchers found, either. The scientists conducted a second study which found that participants who perceived themselves as underweight were more likely to be depressed than peers who were average or overweight. In addition, the scientists discovered that four percent of the participants used steroids and that boys who perceived themselves as underweight were more likely to be the victims of bullying and were more likely to use steroids.

"Unfortunately, there is little evidence-based research on effective therapies for steroid use among adolescent boys," said Blashill in a news release. "However, cognitive-behavioral therapy has proven to be effective for body image concerns and could be helpful for boys considering using or already using steroids."

The findings reveal that it's not only teenage girls that suffer from pressures associated with body image. Teen boys are also at risk. It's important to focus on developing therapies and ways to help these teens in the future.

The findings are published in the journal Psychology of Men & Masculinity.