Work

Understanding the psychological impact of body weight variations: A study of weight-related body image concerns among young adults

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Weight-related body image concerns significantly impact mental health and weight management in young adults (YAs) and are shaped by cultural, societal, and digital factors. Despite the prevalence of these issues, few studies have explored them in this demographic. This study utilizes a validated tool to examine key aspects of weight-related body image concerns in YAs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional analytical survey was conducted using a pre-validated tool, in the outpatient settings of a tertiary healthcare in India. Snowball and purposive sampling techniques were employed, and data were analyzed using STATA/SE version 14.2. RESULTS: A total of 1071 YAs (mean age: 22.3 ± 3.5 years) were selected, mostly from middle-income groups (61.9%) and students (63.6%), with a slight female predominance (57.1%). The prevalence of obesity was 25.2%, underweight was 11.5%, and moderate to severe body concerns were present in half of the obese (49.6%) and underweight participants (47.1%), with severe issues highest in obese YAs. Regression analysis showed increased odds of body image issues in the underweight (OR: 1.89 [1.29–2.76], P < 0.001) and obese categories (OR: 2.89 [2.18–3.83], P < 0.001). Subdomain analysis revealed that self-consciousness ( P < 0.001) and lack of confidence ( P < 0.001) were highest in obese YAs, while anxiety ( P < 0.001), loneliness ( P < 0.01), and embarrassment ( P < 0.001) were highest in the underweight group. CONCLUSION: The study highlights the high prevalence of weight-related body image concerns in YAs, with underweight, overweight, and obese individuals experiencing significant distress. The findings emphasize the need for culturally tailored interventions to improve mental health in YAs with obesity.

Source: Journal of Education and Health Promotion

DOI: 10.4103/jehp.jehp_120_25