Cliques Determine How Teenage Girls Think About Weight

According to a new study published in the Journal of Youth and Adolescence, the peer groups teenage girls identify with influences how they think about weight. Among the group of 236 girls between 13 and 18 who were surveyed, those who identified with athletic peers, aka jocks, weren’t very concerned about their weight; burnouts believed their peers valued thinness; girls who didn’t belong to any particular group were most likely to use “slimming strategies”; and, perhaps most surprisingly, girls who identified with non-conformist peers were more likely to be actively trying to lose weight. We thought “non-conformist” meant you didn’t care about society’s standards, including those concerning weight. Maybe they’re worried about fitting into their skinny jeans? [EurekAlert!]