New website could boost body image in teen girls

E-mail | Print | Comments () Posted by Deborah Kotz May 11, 2011 03:13 PM

Facebook
E-mail

By Deborah Kotz, Globe Staff

Ask any teen-age girl if she's satisfied with her body, and chances are, she'll say no. Teen-age boys also experience body dissatisfaction that's probably rising with all those air-brushed abs and pecs gracing the covers of men's magazines. Researchers at Northeastern University recently evaluated a new free website for teens called BodiMojo with interactive games, diaries, and chat forums to see if it could help teens deal with body image issues.

They found the site may actually work -- at least among girls -- to boost body image. In a new study conducted on 178 male and female high school students from Boston-area high schools, the researchers found that teen girls who were randomly selected to use the website once a week for four weeks during a health class were more likely to experience better feelings about their body than those who were selected to stay in their regular health class. For the boys, though, no body image boost was seen.

"The girls who used the site generally felt better about their bodies," says study author Debra Franko, clinical psychologist at Northeastern. "These weren't enormous effects, but enough to see significant improvement."

As for the boys, they might need a different site that's less, well, girly. The Mojo Mood Cloud where teens can click on words that describe how they're feeling at the moment -- a favorite among the girls -- may not resonate with those who have a Y chromosome. Judging from the games my 13-year-old son likes, I'd say he'd rather shoot down those feeling words.

Franko says they're going to continue to tinker with the site and are working on developing a mobile app to be launched this summer.

While BodiMojo is designed to lower the risk of eating disorders, it also includes tons of information on nutrition, exercise, alcohol, sex, and drugs, since, Franko says, all of these things can play a role in a teen's self esteem, body image, and overall health.

Facebook
E-mail

« Back to front page

about the blog

Daily Dose gives you the latest consumer health news and advice from Boston-area experts. Deborah Kotz is a former reporter for US News and World Report. Write her at dailydose@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter at @debkotz2.

health answers

Long-term health consequences to being born prematurely? It's estimated that each year nearly 500,000 babies in the United States are born prematurely, or before 37 weeks of pregnancy. Submit question | More answers