Abstract
Abstract
With ever-increasing media attention on weight, many adolescents judge their bodies to be inferior to the advertised images. Exposure to a daily diet of airbrushed, surgically altered, and augmented bodies provides an active template for adolescent body dissatisfaction. Adolescents are at an increased risk for downgrading the physical attractiveness and appropriateness of their bodies because they are actively comparing themselves to idealized adolescent portrayals. Body esteem issues are compounded by the identity crisis that confronts and challenges the adolescent. A hallmark of adolescence is resolving this identity crisis, a state that is exacerbated by a craving for a fictionalized body.
The adolescent who is obese may have to contend with additional body esteem pressures and compounded identity issues because of their appearance. After years or a lifetime of struggling with obesity, concurrent with societal stigmatization and peer harassment, the risk of a disturbed body image multiplies. Bariatric surgery for weight loss seems to the obese adolescent to be their “dream come true,” but what happens when results do not match “Hollywood standards?” An important factor in determining the suitability of an obese adolescent for weight-loss surgery (WLS) entails having the adolescent envision how they believe their body will look as they lose weight and how they expect their body to appear at their goal weight. Identification of unrealistic expectations prior to WLS is an important determinant in deciding the adolescent's readiness. A structured, comprehensive nursing assessment of the adolescent's current and projected body image helps to identify ongoing issues and potential problems that may include eating disorders, dysmorphia, and other mental health issues.