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Healthy Living: The New Normal?

By Julie Deeter, Program Manager
March, 2008

The New Normal? What Girls Say About Healthy Living is a research study conducted by the Girl Scout Research Institute. The study combined focus group research with online surveys of more than 2,000 eight- to 17-year-old girls and asked girls directly how they feel about health.

This study revealed several major findings that will be discussed in upcoming columns.

Finding #1: Aspiring to be "Normal Healthy"

For most girls, being healthy has more to do with appearing "normal" and feeling accepted than maintaining good diet and exercise habits.

Girls often describe their health goals as being "healthy enough" or "normal healthy," a concept they often associate with appearing normal and being supported by peers and family. But while girls want to look normal, what that means can vary depending on a girl’s age, race, household income, peer group adult role models and self-perception.

In general, physical appearance is of greater concern to girls that what they wear or how much they exercise. Girls aspire to be "healthy enough" or "normal healthy." Sixty-five percent of girls said their lifestyle was "healthy enough for my age."

Although about two-thirds (65%) correctly identify themselves as being either normal weight or overweight, one in three girls has a distorted idea about her weight. Specifically, 45% of girls who are overweight by BMI standards, and 61% of girls at risk for overweight, see themselves as normal weight, while 14% of normal weight girls believe they are overweight.

African-American and Latina girls who exhibit higher rates of overweight tend to be more satisfied with their bodies than White and Asian girls who have lower obesity rates. Older girls tend to be less satisfied with their weight than younger girls.

Taken from New Normal? What Girls Say About Healthy Living, Research Study Summary, Girl Scout Research Institute, 2006.

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