Body misperception: A complex, multifaceted issue to be taken into consideration in obesity

Abstract

Body misperception could predispose to obesity, by masking excess weight and/or hunger and satiety signals, and by promoting emotional eating and difficulties engaging in physical activity. Thus, it may also be an obstacle to the management of persons with obesity. This narrative review describes the different types of troubles of the relationship with the body that can be encountered in obese subjects, and groups them into three main categories, namely: silhouette distortion, alteration of internal bodily signals pertaining to food, and impaired perception of interoceptive input. Each of these categories is detailed in terms of its clinical phenotypes and potential mechanisms involved. The therapeutic challenges posed by these various disorders are also developped, as well as the limitations of the main instruments available to identify them. The authors conclude that body misperception should be systematicaly investigated in the clinical management of obesity.

Multimethod psychological assessment of women undergoing bariatric surgery

“…First, the impaired ability to identify precisely internal clues related to bodily needs makes it harder for individuals to differentiate signs of hunger and satiety, which might disturb the regulation of food intake. Another is that these individuals have difficulty distinguishing emotional experiences from physiological signals related to hunger, which can also impact food consumption (Bertin et al, 2019;Herbert, 2020;Willem et al, 2021).…”