A cross sectional comparative study to assess body image dissatisfaction in men and women in rural central India

Introduction

In recent decades, the notion of body image has been the topic of discussion. Every person has an opinion regarding his or her physical form; some people have a favorable perception regarding their body, while others not so much. Body image refers to one’s perception, thoughts, and feelings about one’s own body and how others see it. It is an attitude towards one’s own physical appearance. Body image is the arbitrary judgment of one’s own physical appearance.¹

A poor self-image can have negative consequences and is uncomfortable. Physical and mental health, as well as self-esteem, mood, competence, social interaction, and job performance, can all be negatively impacted by having a poor body image.²

Body dysmorphic disorder, anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are all disorders in which the false perception of body image plays an important role.^2,3

This is a significant public health issue that calls for effective intervention. Yet, a lack of understanding of the seriousness of body dissatisfaction as well as stigmatization of linked behaviors and body dissatisfaction may contribute to low levels of help-seeking and long-lasting negative impacts.⁴

Women have traditionally been the subject of body image studies in the past. They reported higher levels of body shame, body surveillance, and difference between their ideal and actual body figures, as well as higher levels of dissatisfaction with their weight and physical attractiveness than males did.^5,6 However, researchers have found that men are also affected by poor body image.^7,8

Globally many adults suffer from body image dissatisfaction which can have a detrimental effect on their mental health. There is a lack of awareness regarding this issue and very few studies have been conducted on the prevalence of poor body image in adults. Even fewer studies have compared the gender differences regarding the same. The purpose of the current study is to determine the prevalence of body image dissatisfaction in adults aged 18-35 and to determine gender differences.

Methods

Discussion

Both genders are equally affected by negative body image, according to a 2016 study on gender differences in body dissatisfaction which was done on married adults in the age range of 22 to 40 with at least two and at most 20 years of marriage. Women were more dissatisfied with their bodies than men, while men were marginally more worried about their fitness and engaged in efforts to enhance their physical fitness.¹

Seyed Alireza Hosseini and Ranjit K. Padhy defined body image and body image distortions in 2019, discussed factors influencing the development of body image, and summed up the significance of cooperation and communication among the multidisciplinary team to improve outcomes for patients with body image distortion.²

In a 2018 study, Renata Sadibolova and Elisa R. Ferre examined the 1D length and 3D volume of a sample of healthy persons’ perceptions of their body size. Depending on the measurement units employed, the participants were randomly split into two groups (other body part and non-body object). They determined the number of units that might fit in each body segment as well as the overall body’s perceived size. The patterns of length and volume misperception among examined sections were shown to be correlated with their actual sizes. Using the pattern of volume misperception, a 3D body proportion representation resembling a sensorimotor homunculus is created. The body parts that were overstated the most had a reduced true surface area to volume ratio, whereas those that were underestimated in volume tended to have inflated lengths.³

The impact of social marketing films using narrative-entertainment or documentary information techniques on body dissatisfaction was examined by Sian A. Mclean in 2020. The findings imply that social marketing can increase body dissatisfaction awareness, unintentionally doing harm. The findings of this study offer preliminary support for diffusion via social marketing.^4,9

The links between self-esteem, body image, and health-related behaviors among male and female first-year college students were studied by Lowery, S.E., and Robinson Kurpius, S.E. in 2005. According to them, women’s self-esteem was consistently linked to body image dissatisfaction, with them having a more negative body image than men. The women had an unfavorable perception of their bodies even when they exercised frequently like the males did. Lastly, both men and women’s self-esteem and body image were positively correlated with more positive physical fitness and health-related activities.^6,10

Brennan, Lalonde, and Bain in 2010 studied the gender differences in body image perception. They claim that although men may be more negatively impacted than women, women have a larger rate of body image dissatisfaction. According to their research, men are more the subjects of media imagery, which has led to a larger emphasis on the muscular ideal.⁷

In 2020, Geeta Soohinda and Harshavardhan Sampath studied the prevalence, psychosocial correlates and influence of socio-cultural pressures on body image dissatisfaction among young Indian men. The study concluded that men who have wide access to Western media and are exposed to family and peer pressure are more likely to change their appearance.⁸