A positive psychology approach to eating and body image: investigating the healthy eater self-schema and body appreciation in adolescence

The healthy eater self-schema (HESS) and body appreciation (BA) are associated with healthy behaviours. However, there is a paucity of research investigating these variables among adolescents. Using an adolescent sample, this study’s goals were to investigate the association between HESS and BA, and to explore the impact of gender, race/ethnicity, and family. A total of 224 adolescents (15-18 years; 64.3% female), 100 mothers, and 59 fathers completed self-report questionnaires. HESS was positively associated with adolescent BA, parental HESS, and parental BA. Among Asians, HESS was positively associated with family dinners. BA was positively associated with family dinners, family mealtime rules, parental HESS, and parental BA. Relative to males, females reported greater importance of healthy eating to self-image and lower BA. There were no racial/ethnic differences for the means of HESS and BA. Future research should examine whether HESS and BA are protective against negative behaviours among adolescents.