Adjusfing to the biological changes that are involved in puberty is a huge emotional strain, especially for an adolescent girl that lacks self-esteem. While physical maturation for boys brings increased muscle tone, height, a deepened voice, and other desirable changes, puberty for girls often brings with it a dreaded and feared weight gain. Although the weight gain is natural and normal, girls see the extra pounds as ugly and disgusting. As their bodies grow, girls begin to see themselves as fat, and their increased dissatisfaction with their physical appearance can serve to damage or wipe out self-esteem. During puberty, girls begin to develop a more feminine shape that is drastically different from todays standard of beauty, the Kate Moss stick Figure.
Adolescence brings with it many transitions that disrupt the stability of a young girl's life.
For instance, the transition from elementary school to junior high or high school can be nerve-wracking. Typically, this stage is mastered and girls adjust to their new envirornments without too much emotional strain. But in some cases, in order to fit in with the older teenagers and new peer groups, girls seek to change their physical appearance. The pressure to be thin and beautiful, like the models and stars, leads many girls to believe that if they look a certain way, everything will work out, they will be popular, and they will have lots of friends. Therefore, to these girls, success in their new environment depends solely upon their physical appearance.