AIIMS study finds underweight, obese people experience moderate to severe body image concerns

A study found that nearly half of the underweight and obese individuals among the 1,000 young adults surveyed for body weight issues experienced moderate to severe concerns, including feeling self-consciousness and lacking confidence.

Over a third of the participants (37.5 %) felt judged by others, while around a fourth (24.5 %) often experienced anxiety related to their weight, researchers from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, said.

The findings published in the Journal of Education and Health Promotion also indicated that feeling self-conscious was significantly associated with obesity, while lack of confidence was most severe among the underweight participants.

“Nearly half of the underweight (47.1 %) and obese (49.6 ) young a%dults experienced moderate to severe body image concerns, compared to their normal weight (35.8 %) and overweight (35.5 %) counterparts, who predominantly reported mild levels of concern,” the authors wrote.

They said body weight is a well-established factor influencing psychological well-being in young adults, and the study offers a more nuanced perspective by identifying aspects affected by body image concerns.

The impact of body image concerns on psychological well-being of the participants varied across the weight categories studied — underweight, normal, overweight and obese — with self-consciousness noted among participants with obesity and low confidence among those who were underweight.

Confidence issues were also observed among obese participants, though to a lesser extent, the researchers said.

The study highlights a pressing need for comprehensive health policies addressing body image concerns among young adults across the weight spectrum, they added.

Educational institutions and healthcare systems should incorporate body image literacy and resilience-building programs, the team said.

Policymakers can thus create a more inclusive, stigma-free healthcare environment that supports both physical and mental well-being in young adults, they said.