Extent and intensity of sports participation as a predictor of body satisfaction in adolescentsOne of the three biggest concerns among Australian adolescents since 2006 is body image, with more than one Third parties report this as one of their biggest worries, alongside dealing with stress and problems at school or study (Misson Australia, 2013). A major cause of body dissatisfaction in women is perceived pressure from society, which emphasizes an ideal, unrealistic, thin body shape, which is repeatedly portrayed in the media. where women may feel the need to conform (McCabe and Ricciardelli, 2003). Men feel pressure to follow the sociocultural ideal body shape of V-shaped musculature with broad shoulders and a thin waste line (Raudenbush & Zellner, 1997). Johnson and Schlndt (1985) indicate that these societal pressures may be compelling during adolescence because these years contain a unique developmental phase where the body changes biologically and is a crucial time for exploring and developing an identity. In the scientific literature, adolescent body image has received a tremendous amount of attention, but research has focused primarily on girls and body dissatisfaction, rather than positive body image. Low body satisfaction has been linked to the development of mental health problems, both diet-related and globally, so a focus on body dissatisfaction is warranted. Low body satisfaction is associated with mild eating problems, such as frequent dieting, and may be predictive of the development of eating disorders (Ackard, Croll, & Kearney-Cooke, 2002). Increased depressive symptoms, anxiety and low self-esteem. and an increase in risky behaviors (Granner, Black & Abood, 2002) such as increased alcohol...... middle of paper ...... playing more sports better than nothing? How much does body image start to improve?). Additionally, it can identify particular sports that provide greater body satisfaction. This can educate parents, teachers and coaches about the importance of sports participation and encourage their children and students to take up sports. This may encourage schools to implement more compulsory structured physical activity, in a group context, as sports participation can potentially provide adolescents with positive values ​​and experiences increasing their body esteem. If schools implement more structured sport, this could help adolescents because the likelihood of them being satisfied with their bodies may increase. The sporting context may highlight the importance of health and fitness as potential protective factors against body dissatisfaction in a society that often emphasizes the thin ideal..