Cultural influences on body dissatisfaction, body change behaviours, and disordered eating of Japanese adolescents

We administered a paper‐and‐pencil questionnaire to 133 female and 99 male J apanese high school students 13–18 years old ( M = 15.9, SD = 1.57) from the K ansai area to examine cultural influences on their body image and body change behaviours. Our aim was to ascertain the independent and combined influences from traditional J apanese, modern J apanese, and W estern values. Cluster analyses identified four ‘acculturative’ groups: ‘anti‐modern’, ‘traditional’, ‘pro‐modern/anti‐traditional’, and ‘pro‐ W estern/anti‐ J apanese’. Pro‐modern and pro‐ W estern adolescents were most dissatisfied with their bodies, and pro‐Western adolescents were also most likely to attempt weight loss. The results demonstrate the value of assessing cultural interactions in J apan along three dimensions.