Male Body Esteem and Physical Measurements: Do Leaner, or Stronger, High School Football Players Have a More Positive Body Image?

This research examined the relationships among body attributes (i.e., body fat percent and bench press performance) and psychological esteem (i.e., perceived athletic competence, body image, and general self-esteem) in high school football players. Structural equation modeling was used to model the relationships among the constructs. Body fat was negatively related to athletic competence and body image, which in turn were positively related to general self-esteem. The role of bench press performance in predicting psychological esteem was inconsistent, however, suggesting that leanness may be more important than body strength for adolescent psychological esteem among high school football players.