Relationship between anthropometric variables and body image dissatisfaction among fitness center users

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to identify the anthropometric dimensions related with body image dissatisfaction among fitness center users. Participants were 276 Brazilian members of fitness centers (168 males and 108 females) with ages between 17 and 39 years (M_age = 23.93, SD = 5.17).  After body mass (BM), body mass index (BMI) and body fat (% BF) were measured, participants indicated their current (CS) and ideal (IS) silhouettes, allowing the calculation of body dissatisfaction as the difference between IS and CS. BMI and % BF were grouped by body dissatisfaction category and analyzed using one-way and repeated measures ANOVA. Results revealed that only 1.2 % of men and 6.5 % of women considered themselves satisfied with their body. Comparisons of global ratings of their CS and IS revealed that male and female individuals reported that their current bodies were significantly less muscular than their ideal bodies (p < .001), although the degree of dissatisfaction revealed no significant difference between sexes. Moreover, results demonstrated that the relationship between body composition and body dissatisfaction only occurs on individuals that feel very dissatisfied with their body image and appearance.