Body size preference and body weight perception among two migrant groups of non-Western origin

Abstract

Objectives: To evaluate body size preference, body weight perception and their relationship with actual weight in two migrant groups of non-Western origin, Turks and Moroccans; additionally, to study the association between body size preference and acculturation. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Subjects and methods: Males and females (18-30 years) were randomly selected from the population registry (n 451); participants, or at least one of their parents, were born in Turkey or Morocco. Body size preference was assessed using seven silhouette drawings and body weight perception was assessed by asking participants' opinion of own weight. Acculturation variables were generation status and two scale measures, cultural orientation and social contacts. Results: Participants showed preference for a thin body size. The discrepancy between ideal and current size was significant in women but not men (P , 0?001). Perceived current body size was correlated with BMI (Spearman's correlation coefficient 0?60, P , 0?001 (men) and 0?73, P , 0?001 (women)). Among overweight participants (BMI 5 25?0-29?9 kg/m 2 ), 63-82 % of men and 35 % of women perceived themselves as 'average'. Paying attention to own body weight was associated with a discrepancy between ideal and current size among women and with perceiving oneself as 'overweight' among men. Body size preference was not significantly associated with the three acculturation variables. Conclusion: We did not observe a preference for large body sizes in these two non-Western migrant groups. Similar to Western populations, most women wished to be thinner than they were. This was not the case among men, the majority of whom were also unaware of being overweight. KeywordsMigrants Turkish Moroccan Weight perception Obesity Overweight Body mass index Overweight and obesity are a major public health problem and are associated with increased risk for type 2 diabetes, CVD and several types of cancer (1) . Their prevalence is reaching epidemic proportions, with an estimated 1 billion overweight and 300 million obese adults worldwide (2) . Among non-Western migrants, which represent an increasing proportion of many Western populations (3) , the prevalence of overweight and obesity is often higher than that of host populations (4)(5)(6) . In The Netherlands more than half of the general adult population is either overweight (51 % of males, 42 % of females) or obese (10 % of males, 12 % of females) (7) . In two of the main migrant groups of non-Western origin, Turks and Moroccans, it is estimated that 25-32 % of women and 37-44 % of men are overweight while 39-40 % of women and 13-16 % of men are obese (8,9)

Study of Body Image in Professional Dancers: A Systematic Review

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Relação entre estado nutricional, adiposidade corporal, percepção de autoimagem corporal e risco para transtornos alimentares em atletas de modalidades coletivas do gênero feminino

“…Portanto, mesmo que seja de grau leve, a distorção da autoimagem corporal deve ser levada em consideração em diferentes contextos, inclusive no das modalidades coletivas, haja vista que a pressão social diária por um corpo magro é observada, de modo geral, em adolescentes e adultas jovens, mesmo que não sejam atletas 9,12,[26][27] . Fatores como a percepção comportamental e cognitiva individual em relação às exigências do ambiente, podem melhor explicar a presença de distorção da autoimagem corporal e de transtornos alimentares 28 .…”

Perceived body image and weight: discrepancies and gender differences among University undergraduates

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