Teen Boys Who Think They're Skinny May Be at Higher Risk for Depression

Link here. Excerpt:

'Teen boys who think they're too skinny are at increased risk for depression, and they're more likely to be bullied and use steroids, two new studies suggest.
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Teen boys who believed they were overweight but were actually a healthy weight were also more likely to be depressed than those who believed they were of average weight. However, they were not as likely to be depressed as those who believed they were very underweight, the study found.

In the second study, researchers analyzed data from a 2009 survey of more than 8,000 boys in grades nine through 12 across the United States. The study found that those who believed themselves to be underweight were more likely to have depression than those who were average weight or overweight.

Boys who believed they were underweight were more likely to be victims of bullying and more likely to use steroids, according to the second study, which was published online recently in the journal Psychology of Men & Masculinity.
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"These studies highlight the often underreported issue of distorted body image among adolescent boys," Aaron Blashill, who led both studies, said in a journal news release.

"Teenage girls tend to internalize and strive for a thin appearance, whereas teenage boys tend to emphasize a more muscular body type," said Blashill, a staff psychologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and a faculty member at Harvard Medical School. "We found that some of these boys who feel they are unable to achieve that often unattainable image are suffering and may be taking drastic measures."

Blashill said doctors treating depressed teen boys -- particularly those who believe they are underweight or bullied -- should be aware of the possibility of steroid use.'