Body-Image Discrepancy and Disordered Eating in Children Aged 10–12: The Roles of Gender, BMI, and Thinness-Related Attributions

These findings indicate that body-image discrepancy is associated with disordered eating in late childhood, at a stage when marked gender differences are not yet evident. Although causal inferences cannot be drawn, the presence of clinically elevated symptom levels and the observed associations highlight the potential importance of early attention to body dissatisfaction in preventive efforts.