Body size estimation of self and others in females varying in BMI

Abstract

Previous literature suggests that a disturbed ability to accurately identify own body size may contribute to overweight. Here, we investigated the influence of personal body size, indexed by body mass index (BMI), on body size estimation in a non-clinical population of females varying in BMI. We attempted to disentangle general biases in body size estimates and attitudinal influences by manipulating whether participants believed the body stimuli (personalized avatars with realistic weight variations) represented their own body or that of another person. Our results show that the accuracy of own body size estimation is predicted by personal BMI, such that participants with lower BMI underestimated their body size and participants with higher BMI overestimated their body size. Further, participants with higher BMI were less likely to notice the same percentage of weight gain than participants with lower BMI. Importantly, these results were only apparent when participants were judging a virtual body that was their own identity (Experiment 1), but not when they estimated the size of a body with another identity and the same underlying body shape (Experiment 2a). The different influences of BMI on accuracy of body size estimation and sensitivity to weight change for self and other identity suggests that effects of BMI on visual body size estimation are self-specific and not generalizable to other bodies.

Visual Perception and Evaluation of Photo-Realistic Self-Avatars From 3D Body Scans in Males and Females

“…More sophisticated 3D scanning systems have also been used to create personalized avatars, for research on body perception (Piryankova et al, 2014a;Mölbert et al, 2017a;Thaler et al, 2018), and on attitudes toward using 3D body scanning for clothing customization and selection (Lee et al, 2012). The scanning systems are capable of capturing both the shape and the texture of the body.…”

“…The focus on women is likely due to the higher prevalence of eating disorders in women, as well as findings suggesting a relationship with distortions of body size perception in these disorders (Thompson et al, 1999). Additionally, healthy females were also found to not accurately estimate their own body weight (Piryankova et al, 2014a;Mölbert et al, 2017a;Thaler et al, 2018). Previous studies found that healthy females in the normal body mass index (BMI) range slightly underestimated their body weight and were more willing to accept thinner bodies as their own as compared to fatter bodies (Piryankova et al, 2014a;Mölbert et al, 2017a).…”

The Role of Visual Information in Body Size Estimation

“…In metric methods, often also referred to as body part methods, the size of body parts is estimated against a spatial measure (e.g., a caliper or a measure tape) and thus local spatial estimates of body parts are assessed ( Home, Van Vactor, & Emerson, 1991 ; Slade & Russell, 1973 ). In depictive methods, often also referred to as whole body methods, the size and shape of the whole body are compared with another body of self or other identity (e.g., photographs or computer-generated bodies) usually manipulated in body weight ( Mölbert et al., 2018 ; Piryankova et al., 2014 ; Thaler et al., 2018 ; Tovée, Benson, Emery, Mason, & Cohen-Tovée, 2003 ). A recent review suggests that healthy people on average accurately estimate their own bodily dimensions in depictive methods, whereas they overestimate in metric methods ( Mölbert et al., 2017 ).…”

The link of diet and exercise habits of the inhabitants of Pärnu city with body mass index

“…According to the international classification of body weight [11], [15]we investigated the influence of personal body size, indexed by body mass index (BMI, obesity is defined as a BMI of 30 and above, overweight as a BMI between 25 and 29.9, normal weight as a BMI between 18.5 and 24.9, and underweight as a BMI below 18.5.…”