OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association of body dissatisfaction (BD), degree of psychological commitment to exercise (DPCE), usual level of physical activity (LPA), body mass index (BMI), fat percentage (%F) and ethnicity with inappropriate eating behavior (IEB) in adolescents. METHODS: Cross sectional study with 362 adolescents aged between ten and 19 years old, of both genders, selected by stratified sampling. The Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26) was used to assess the IEB. In addition, Body Shape Questionnaire, Commitment Exercise Scale and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire were applied in order to assess BD, DPCE and LPA, respectively. Statistical treatment included multivariate analysis and multiple regression. RESULTS: BD, DPCE, BMI and %F were significantly associated with EAT-26 subscales scores for both genders. The statistical values were different between genders. CONCLUSIONS: body dessatisfaction and BMI seemed to be strongly associated with the different constructs of eating behavior in both sexes.
feeding behavior; body image; motor activity
