Body mass index and body image perception in older adults

Abstract

Background and aims The Body Image Perception (BIP) by self-report survey could help in public health strategies for weight reduction. The aim of this study was to describe the body image perception in Chilean adolescents and their association with BMI. Methods A representative and proportional sample of 33 educational establishments was randomly selected, in the Metropolitan Region, Chile. During 2013, 418 school-age children of the 4st grade of high school, of both sexes, 43.1% were males (n = 180) and 57% females (n = 238) participated. The subjects' consent was obtained according to Declaration of Helsinki to undergo anthropometric measurements of weight and height to calculate BMI. BIP was assessed by Stunkard (1990) method which was validated for adolescents (Cortés et al., 2009), showing 9 male and female body silhouettes, ranging from very thin to more robust Each silhouette has assigned its corresponding BMI from 17 kg/m2 to 33 kg/ m2: Underweight (silhouette 1), Normal (silhouettes 2-5), overweight (silhouettes 6-7) and obesity grade 1 and grade 2 (silhouettes 8-9). The data were analyzed with the SAS 9.3 software. Results A low concordance between perceived and desired BIP was observed (k = 0.1644). 51.3% of students had a BIP that did not correspond to reality (p <0.01), 25.8% of men overestimate their body image (p <0.01), and 40% of women underestimate (p <0.01). Conclusions The BIP self-report survey is a good indicator to estimate the nutritional status of adolescents and eating disorders.