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. 2014 Jan;15(1):151-8.
doi: 10.1016/j.eatbeh.2013.11.007. Epub 2013 Dec 5.

Prevalence of body dissatisfaction among a United States adult sample

Elizabeth A Fallon  1 , Brandonn S Harris  2 , Paige Johnson  3
Affiliations

Prevalence of body dissatisfaction among a United States adult sample

Elizabeth A Fallon et al. Eat Behav. 2014 Jan.

Abstract

Body dissatisfaction (BD) is a primary determinant of eating disorders and has been linked to chronic disease via decreased likelihood of cancer screening self-exams and smoking cessation. Yet, there are few recent estimates of the prevalence of BD among United States adults. Using an internet-based, opt-in, cross-sectional survey, United States adults (N=1893) completed assessments of demographic variables, body areas satisfaction, appearance evaluation, fitness evaluation, health evaluation, and overweight preoccupation. Results revealed that the range of BD is 13.4%-31.8% among women and 9.0%-28.4% among men. Compared to previous assessments of prevalence (1973, 1986, 1995, 1997), the prevalence of BD among United States adults may have plateaued or declined over time.

Keywords: Adult; Body dissatisfaction; Body image; Prevalence; United States.

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