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Body size perception and ideal body size in overweight and obese young adult women

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Eating and Weight Disorders - Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to examine the differences among actual body size, perceived body size, and ideal body size in overweight and obese young adult women.

Methods

Actual body size was assessed by body mass index (BMI), while self-perceived and ideal body sizes were assessed by the Body image assessment tool-body dimension. Descriptive statistics were calculated and analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed on actual BMI as a function of perceived BMI.

Results

Of the 42 participants included in the study, 12 were overweight (25 ≤ BMI < 30), 18 were obese 1 (30 ≤ BMI < 35), and 12 were obese 2 (35 ≤ BMI ≤ 39.48). The mean ideal body size of participants was 25.34 ± 1.33. Participants in general perceived their body size (BMI: 35.82 ± 1.06) to be higher than their actual body size (32.84 ± 0.95). Overweight participants had a significantly higher mean body size misperception than obese 2 individuals (µ dif = −6.68, p < .001).

Conclusion

Perception accuracy of body size differs in women by BMI. Weight loss programs need to be tailored to consider body size misperception in order to improve treatment outcomes for overweight and obese young women.

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Acknowledgments

We acknowledge the National Institute of Nursing Research (K01NR012779, PI: E.S. Cha), Emory University (University Research Committee and Atlanta Clinical & Translational Science Institute (ACTSI) collaborative grant), and the Atlanta Clinical and Translational Science Institute (UL1 RR025008) for their support of this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

    Hannah M. Lerner

  2. Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Bryan Klapes

  3. Department of Anthropology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Amanda Mummert

  4. Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA

    EunSeok Cha

Authors
  1. Hannah M. Lerner
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  2. Bryan Klapes
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  3. Amanda Mummert
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  4. EunSeok Cha
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Hannah M. Lerner or EunSeok Cha.

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Conflict of interest

We have no potential conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

This study was approved by the Emory University Institutional Review Board in Atlanta, Georgia.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all participants in the study.

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Lerner, H.M., Klapes, B., Mummert, A. et al. Body size perception and ideal body size in overweight and obese young adult women. Eat Weight Disord 21, 487–492 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-015-0239-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-015-0239-3

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