Body image's effect on smoking and drinking.

• Position: Teenagers - Brief article

How teenagers perceive their appearance can have significant impacts on health and wellness. Prior research has shown that people with negative body image are more likely to develop eating disorders and suffer from depression and low self-esteem.

Virginia Winter, assistant professor in the School of Social Work at the University of Missouri, Columbia, found negative body image also is associated with increased tobacco and alcohol use, with implications for both young men and women. Notably, she also found relationships between substance use and perceived attractiveness, with girls who believe they are very good looking being more likely to drink.

"I wanted to see If the perception of being overweight and negative body image leads to engaging in unhealthy or risky substance use behaviors. Understanding the relationship means that interventions and policies aimed at improving body image among teenage populations may improve overall health."

Winter and her sociology doctoral candidate coauthors--Andrea Kennedy (University of Southern...