Abstract
This study investigated the relationship between pubertal development and adolescents' eating disorders, as mediated by acceptance of pubertal development, body satisfaction, behaviors to decrease weight, and behaviors to avoid exposure of one's own body to others. The participants were 503 junior high school students (252 boys, 251 girls). Participants were asked about pubertal development, acceptance of pubertal development, body satisfaction, behaviors to decrease weight, behaviors to avoid exposure of one's body to others, height, and weight. The main results were as follows. For boys, there was no relationship between pubertal development and eating disorders. For girls, lower acceptance of pubertal development was related to low body satisfaction, and low body satisfaction led to more behaviors to decrease weight and avoid exposure of one's body to others. Behaviors to decrease weight and to avoid exposure of one's body to others predicted girls'eating disorders.
