Abstract
Body image dissatisfaction is a concern for adolescents’ mental and physical well-being, and the role of body mass index (BMI) and physical activity (PA) in it is still unclear. This study investigates the associations of BMI and PA with body image, separately for boys and girls, in a large sample of Finnish adolescents. We also examine the associations of BMI with body image in varying PA levels. A total of 10,496 adolescents (girls 52.6%) were included in the analyses. Body image was assessed using a pictorial tool, and categorized as wishing for a smaller body, being satisfied, and wishing for a bigger body. BMI (kg/m2) was categorized as thin, normal weight, and overweight/obese. Self-reported PA was divided into three similar-sized categories as low, moderate, and high PA levels. Adjusted ordinal regression analyses were conducted. Our results show that adolescents with thinness had higher odds of wishing for a bigger body compared to their normal-weight peers, while adolescents with overweight/obesity had smaller odds of wishing for a bigger body. Adolescents in low and middle PA levels had lower odds of wishing for a bigger body compared to adolescents in the high PA level. Yet, the PA level modified the associations between BMI and body image, especially in adolescents with thinness and more so in girls than in boys. These findings highlight the need to pay attention to healthy weight gain and PA in adolescents to support their body image satisfaction.
Highlights
The associations were similar in boys and girls, Our study shows that both body mass index (BMI) and physical activity (PA) are associated with body image in 9 to girls had higher odds of wishing for a different body than their current body compared to
This study shows that BMI and PA associate with body image satisfaction in a large sample of Finnish 9 to 12-year-old adolescents
The associations were similar in boys and girls, girls had higher odds of wishing for a different body than their current body compared to boys
Summary
Overweight is a complex condition with multiple contributory causes, including genetic, socioeconomic, environmental, and behavioral factors [1,2]. Over the past four decades, mean body mass index (BMI) and overweight have increased in children and adolescents in most countries worldwide [3]. In Finland, the prevalence of overweight/obesity was 28% in 7–12-year-old boys and 18% in girls in 2019 [4]. These numbers are alarming, since overweight is likely to track into adulthood [5]. Overweight has been associated with multiple physical and psychological consequences, such as an increased risk for cardiovascular diseases and decreased health-related quality of life [6].
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