In his work we aim at identifying techniques and behaviors used by poor adolescences to change their appearance. We developed an exploratory and transversal study by using structured questionnaires. The sample was composed by 287 high school students, from both periods (day and night) of a school located in a region of low socio-economic status. Results indicate a tendency to body satisfaction and to the practice of regular physical activity as the most frequent way of taking care of the body among boys. However, concerning to the girls, diets are most common technique to change their appearance. A significant difference regarding the body satisfaction and employability was found among those who study and work. We did not find any association regarding the structure of the family. The results indicate that the students in our study do not want to compromise their health in order achieve a "perfect body".
Adolescents; physical appearance; body image
