Introduction: Weight bias internalization (WBI) has won interest in research due to its negative effects both physical and mental health. It has been proved, that WBI enhances body image dissatisfaction (BID), risky eating behaviors (REB) and body image control in photography (BICP). Even though, the role of WBI in these health variables remains under study.


Purpose: Test a model in which directly predicts BID, and indirectly predicts REB and BICP through BID, using path analysis both in the group of students (single-group analysis) and across both sexes (multigroup analysis).


Method: The sample included 187 middle and high school students, men and women, with ages between 12 to 17 years old (m=13.26 years). A self-administered questionnaire consisting of sociodemographic questions and four scales validated in Spanish and for adolescents were used. Path analysis was used to test the structural model. This involved a single-group analysis (total sample) and a multigroup analysis (women/men). Both analyses were performed using the asymptotically distribution-free least squares method.


Results: The model was validated in the single-group sample by an admissible solution with significant weights in both the direct and indirect pathways, in addition to having a good fit, explaining 30% of the variance for BICP, 50% of the variance for REB and 76% for BID. The multigroup analysis revealed that the model is suitable for both sexes, but it is not invariant. The explained variance of BICP is 28% in women versus 23% in men. The explained variance of REB is 55% in women versus 47% in men, and the explained variance of BID is 76% in women and 69% in men.


Conclusions: The model in which WBI directly predicts BID; and indirectly REB and BICP through BID, is validated in a sample of Mexican middle and high school students, having greater predictive capacity in women than in men.