Body Image Satisfaction and Interest in Losing Weight between Gender

Abstract

Purpose and Originality: The study aims to examine and compare body image satisfaction with the level of interest in losing weight between gender, considering cognitive behaviours toward food, age, Body Mass Index, work, marital status, and the number of children.

Method: A quantitative meta-analysis conducted randomly on a pool of Lebanese adults (n = 514) between February 2018 and June 2018. Anthropometric measures and specific demographic data assessed individually, and questions related to the level of body image satisfaction and the level of interest in losing weight were analyzed using bivariate statistical tests (t-test, χ2).

Results: No relationship was found between body image satisfaction and gender at any age (p > 0.05), even though women showed a higher mean in the level of interest in losing weight (2.21 ± 0.835) than men (1.87 ± 0.835). Body image satisfaction was found inversely associated with Body Mass Index and with more significance than the level of interest in losing weight (p < 0.001). Cognitive behaviours toward food and work status were only found significantly related to body image satisfaction, whereas marital status was solitary found related to the level of interest in losing weight with a small effect size (p < 0.01).

Society: This study reflects the different attitude between gender toward body image satisfaction and interest in losing weight in the Lebanese adult population, in order to interpret a better understanding toward image satisfaction, while identifying determinants that might be applied for designing interventions independent of the setting.

Limitations: Pregnant and lactating women were not considered in the sample.

Originality/value: The impact of the study concerns the Lebanese society, and it is the first of its kind to open the subject concerning BIS between different Lebanese social groups and initiate further research in this field.