Body image, body dissatisfaction and weight status in south asian children: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

BackgroundChildhood obesity is a continuing problem in the UK and South Asian children represent a group that are particularly vulnerable to its health consequences. The relationship between body dissatisfaction and obesity is well documented in older children and adults, but is less clear in young children, particularly South Asians. A better understanding of this relationship in young South Asian children will inform the design and delivery of obesity intervention programmes. The aim of this study is to describe body image size perception and dissatisfaction, and their relationship to weight status in primary school aged UK South Asian children.MethodsObjective measures of height and weight were undertaken on 574 predominantly South Asian children aged 5-7 (296 boys and 278 girls). BMI z-scores, and weight status (underweight, healthy weight, overweight or obese) were calculated based on the UK 1990 BMI reference charts. Figure rating scales were used to assess perceived body image size (asking children to identify their perceived body size) and dissatisfaction (difference between perceived current and ideal body size). The relationship between these and weight status were examined using multivariate analyses.ResultsPerceived body image size was positively associated with weight status (partial regression coefficient for overweight/obese vs. non-overweight/obese was 0.63 (95% CI 0.26-0.99) and for BMI z-score was 0.21 (95% CI 0.10-0.31), adjusted for sex, age and ethnicity). Body dissatisfaction was also associated with weight status, with overweight and obese children more likely to select thinner ideal body size than healthy weight children (adjusted partial regression coefficient for overweight/obese vs. non-overweight/obese was 1.47 (95% CI 0.99-1.96) and for BMI z-score was 0.54 (95% CI 0.40-0.67)).ConclusionsAwareness of body image size and increasing body dissatisfaction with higher weight status is established at a young age in this population. This needs to be considered when designing interventions to reduce obesity in young children, in terms of both benefits and harms.

A prospective study of body image dissatisfaction and BMI change in school-age children

“…Previous studies had suggested that childhood obesity was associated with a desire to be thinner whereas thinness was related to a desire to be heavier (10,13,34,35) . In other words, overweight and obese boys and girls tend to desire a thinner body image, while thin children usually desire to be heavier (or less thin).…”

“…Body image perception, defined as 'the picture we have in our minds of the size, shape and form of our bodies; and our feelings concerning these characteristics and our constituent body parts' (8) , is one critical psychosocial factor that is related to body weight. While mostly investigated in the context of eating disorders, body image dissatisfaction (BID) is highly prevalent among healthy boys and girls (9)(10)(11)(12) . BID is associated with weight status, as heavier persons tend to be more dissatisfied with their body image compared with normal-weight people.…”

Body size dissatisfaction among young Chinese children in Hong Kong: a cross-sectional study

“…A positive association between BMI and BSD has been observed in UK South Asian children as young as 5 years of age (14) . Children as young as 4 years have expressed negative attitudes towards a 'fat' body shape (15) and BSD is associated with restrained eating by the age of 9 years (17) .…”

Behavioral and Psychosocial Factors in Childhood Obesity

“…As for body image, the most consistently replicated finding is that obese children and adolescents have a more negative body image than their peers and often believe that they have been responsible for their obesity (Ben-Sefer et al, 2009). Overweight children as young as age 5 can also develop a negative body image (Pallan et al, 2011). A relationship between increasing weight status and body dissatisfaction in older children has been observed in many different cultural communities (Crow et al, 2006;Duncan et al, 2006;Fonseca et al, 2009;Mirza et al, 2005).…”