Breasts, Butts, and Thighs—Oh My! Weight Spurt and Body Image Messages in Girls’ Puberty Books

Abstract

Analyze popular girls’ puberty books to understand what messages they portray about weight spurt and body image. A critical ethnography was conducted of 13 best-selling books about girls’ puberty. This analysis specifically focused on messages about weight gain/spurt and body image presented in the books and whether these were aligned with larger cultural understandings of weight gain and body image. A data-driven thematic analysis was conducted on the portions of each book relevant to weight gain and body image. The cultural fat-phobic scripts were prevalent in the books, contrasting the well-intended developmental messages. Discussions of weight tended to be negatively framed and weight gain expectations were distressingly vague. The books discussed the necessity of and biological rationale for those changes while normalizing variation in timing. The books also focused on developing a positive body image during this time. Understanding this allows us to see the pervasive, conflicting messages about weight-spurts that girls are receiving from these resources, which can be used to tailor book choice and outreach programs.