Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Meta-Analysis
. 2016;9(6):424-441.
doi: 10.1159/000454837. Epub 2016 Dec 24.

Body Dissatisfaction in Individuals with Obesity Compared to Normal-Weight Individuals: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Natascha-Alexandra Weinberger  1 , Anette Kersting, Steffi G Riedel-Heller, Claudia Luck-Sikorski
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Body Dissatisfaction in Individuals with Obesity Compared to Normal-Weight Individuals: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Natascha-Alexandra Weinberger et al. Obes Facts. 2016.

Abstract

Background: Body dissatisfaction has been identified as a psychological correlate of obesity that is related to disordered eating, poor self-esteem, and depression. However, not all individuals with obesity are equally vulnerable to these correlates, and 'normative discontent' is present in individuals with normal weight, too. In this light, the complex relationship of body image and individual weight status seems like a worthwhile direction of research inquiry. As such, this review aims to systematically explore the degree of body dissatisfaction in individuals with obesity compared to normal-weight individuals.

Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted. All quantitative studies of adult samples reporting results regarding differences in body dissatisfaction between individuals with normal weight and obesity were included.

Results: 17 articles were found. Across studies, individuals with obesity reported higher body dissatisfaction than normal-weight individuals (questionnaires: d = 0.89, 95% CI = 0.63-1.16, p < 0.001; silhouette scales: d = 1.41, 95% CI = 0.57-2.25, p < 0.001). Meta-regression revealed a significant association of female gender and higher body dissatisfaction (b = 0.60, p = 0.007).

Conclusion: The findings underline the severity of body dissatisfaction among individuals with obesity and especially among women. Future research recommendations are discussed.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Flow diagram of study selection. Adapted from [26].
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Meta-analysis of differences in body dissatisfaction questionnaire scores between individuals with obesity and normal-weight among male and female samples. Abbreviations: 1 = male; 2 = female; SMD = standardized mean difference; CI = confidence interval; LB = lower body; UB = upper body.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Friedman MA, Brownell KD. Psychological correlates of obesity: moving to the next research generation. Psychol Bull. 1995;117:3–20. - PubMed
    1. Wardle J, Cooke L. The impact of obesity on psychological well-being. Best Pract Res Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2005;19:421–440. - PubMed
    1. Cash TF. Body image: past, present, and future. Body Image. 2004;1:1–5. - PubMed
    1. Cash TF. Body image: Cognitive behavioral perspectives on body image. In: Cash TF, Pruzinsky T, editors. Body Images: A Handbook of Theory, Research, and Clinical Practice. New York: Guilford Press; 2002. pp. 38–46.
    1. Cash TF. Body-image attitudes: evaluation, investment, and affect. Percept Mot Skills. 1994;78:1168–1170. - PubMed