Body image dissatisfaction is a major concern for adolescents mental and physical well-being. A recent study showed that physical activity and body mass index are factors associated with body image satisfaction. This knowledge can help in planning effective interventions to improve a healthy body image and body image satisfaction among adolescents.
Body image is a complex term, but might be described as the psychological experience of one’s body tied to one’s physical appearance, or at least, the subjective experience of it. It is a reflection of, and a term for how people think, feel, see, and subsequently act toward their bodies. Naturally, body image is also closely affected by cultural constructs and social expectations derived thereof. But simply put, body image might be used as a measurement of how one experiences living in one’s body.
Body image satisfaction or dissatisfaction is related to mental health and physical well-being, which stand in a dynamic relationship with one another. These relationships are complex, but what we do know, is that body image dissatisfaction has consistently been rated as one of the foremost concerns among young people. Combined with the alarming rising rates of overweight and obesity, the implications for both mental and physical well-being are serious. For example, perceptions of poor body image are related to higher levels of depression and anxiety, eating disorders, and lower self-esteem.
Body image dissatisfaction may in itself increase the likelihood for obesity, but has also been linked to lifestyle change.
Furthermore, body image dissatisfaction may in itself increase the likelihood for obesity, but has also been linked to lifestyle change. These mechanisms are intricate, and in some ways both socially and emotionally sensitive. On one hand, excessive preoccupation with appearance in the pursuit of a body ideal can produce negative emotions, which affects health behavior, mental well-being, and complicates weight management. On the other hand, similar concerns about body image may increase motivation, facilitating a change in lifestyle and subsequently increasing the likelihood of reaching ones ideal and healthier body image satisfaction. To simplify, the same mechanism that has us reaching for ideals also produce negative reactions when these very same ideals seem unattainable or far away.
There are many ways of studying body image and all the relationships that affects it. A recent study at the FHRC explored the role that body mass index (BMI) and physical activity has for body image. Here, the researchers gathered data from some 10 000 adolescents regarding BMI, categorized into three size categories, thin, normal, and overweight/obese, self-reported physical activity stratified into three categories, low, moderate and high, respectively, and body image. Body image was assessed using a visual tool, and categorized by how the subject would wish to change his or her body, being satisfied, wishing to be bigger, or smaller.
The majority of the subjects were satisfied with their body image, and having a normal weight and being physically active were generally associated with higher body image satisfaction. However, four adolescents out of 10 were dissatisfied, and especially being overweight/obese was related to body image dissatisfaction. Deeper analysis of these data showed that thin adolescents, as measured through BMI, had higher odds for wishing for a bigger body, and overweight/obese adolescents had higher odds of wishing for to be smaller. Adolescents with low and middle levels of physical activity had lower odds of wishing for a bigger body compared with peers with high levels of physical activity.
We should also unpack why adolescents might wish for a certain body image, as this is a complex construct influenced by many factors, and not all ideals are equally healthy.
Interestingly, physical activity modified the associations between BMI and body image, particularly in thin adolescents and more so among girls than boys. Among thin girls, the odds of wishing for a bigger body decreased when the physical activity level increased. The inverse trend was observed among the boys, as he odds of wishing for a bigger body was the highest among those with moderate physical levels, and smallest among those with low physical activity levels. This may be reflective of the ideals of the sports the more physically active adolescents might engage in.
So, what are the takeaways? Foremost, the results underline the need to pay attention to healthy weight gain among young adolescents in order to support their body image satisfaction. Furthermore, promoting physical activity would be beneficial on a general level. As BMI was strongly associated with body image satisfaction, it should be accounted for when examining body image among adolescents. However, there is a need to clarify what kind of physical activity is needed to facilitate body image satisfaction, and what kind of body image adolescents wish for precisely. We should also unpack why adolescents might wish for a certain body image, as this is a complex construct influenced by many factors, and not all ideals are equally healthy.
Reference:
Leppänen, M.H.; Lehtimäki, A.-V.; Roos, E.; Viljakainen, H. Body Mass Index, Physical Activity, and Body Image in Adolescents. Children 2022, 9, 202.
Simon Granroth, Science Communicator
