The aim of this study is to examine the development of body weight as well as the development of the subjective body image among German youth focusing on trends (2002-2006-2010). The analysis focuses on those children and adolescents who consider themselves as "a bit too fat" or "much too fat" in spite of the fact that they are "about the right size" (risk group). Based on the findings, recommendations for prevention and intervention measures will be derived, which can be applied in youth work.The trend analysis is based on german data from the international WHO study Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) from the survey years 2002, 2006 and 2010. In addition to the socio-demographic variables (sex, age, family affluence status), the analysis also included variables on weight status (BMI), body image, dieting and breakfast consumption (independent variables). Using binary logistic regression analyses, the relationship between the independent and dependent variable (distorted body image) was examined.For the 13- and as well as for the 15-year-old adolescents in the overall trend the fraction of those that are underweight decreases in contrast to the increasing fraction of the overweight subjects. The results show that in the year 2010, the risk for adolescents for being overweight is 1.3-times higher than in the reference year 2002. Furthermore it can be proven in the timeline that the risk to perceive the own body as "too fat" is slightly higher. A distorted perception regarding the body image (normal weight but perceiving themselves as "too fat") is primarily a problem of the girls: they have in the year 2006 and 2010 a 2-times higher chance to belong to the group of the distorted perceivers than in 2002. Dieting as a strategy in dealing with an alleged fat body has in a comparison still a major role, however in 2010 far fewer young people made use of it.The observed trends will be discussed against the background of gender-specific health promotion.
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