Nearly half of underweight and obese young adults surveyed in a study on body weight issues reported moderate to severe body image concerns, including feeling self-conscious and lacking confidence, according to researchers from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi.
The study, which surveyed 1,000 young adults and was published in the Journal of Education and Health Promotion, found that over a third of participants (37.5 per cent) felt judged by others, while nearly a quarter (24.5 per cent) frequently experienced anxiety related to their weight.
“Nearly half of the underweight (47.1 per cent) and obese (49.6 per cent) young adults experienced moderate to severe body image concerns, compared to their normal weight (35.8 per cent) and overweight (35.5 per cent) counterparts, who predominantly reported mild levels of concern,” the authors wrote.
The findings showed that body image concerns affected psychological well-being differently across weight categories — underweight, normal, overweight and obese. Feeling self-conscious was found to be significantly associated with obesity, while lack of confidence was most severe among underweight participants. Confidence issues were also observed among those with obesity, though to a lesser extent, the researchers said.
The authors noted that body weight is a well-established factor influencing psychological well-being in young adults, and said the study offers a more nuanced understanding by identifying specific aspects affected by body image concerns.
Highlighting the broader implications, the researchers said the findings point to a pressing need for comprehensive health policies that address body image concerns among young adults across the weight spectrum. Educational institutions and healthcare systems should incorporate body image literacy and resilience-building programmes, they added.
Such measures, the team said, could help policymakers create a more inclusive, stigma-free healthcare environment that supports both physical and mental well-being in young adults.
