AIIMS study shows – One study found that of 1,000 young adults surveyed for body weight issues, nearly half of both underweight and obese individuals experienced moderate to severe concerns, including feeling self-conscious and lacking self-confidence. More than a third of participants (37. 5%) felt they were judged by others, while nearly a quarter (24.

5%) often experienced anxiety related to their weight, said researchers from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi. The findings, published in the Journal of Education and Health Promotion, also indicated that feeling self-conscious was significantly associated with obesity, while lack of self-confidence was most severe in underweight participants.

“Almost half of underweight (47. 1%) and obese (49. 6%) young adults experienced moderate to severe body image concerns, compared with their normal weight (35.

8%) and overweight (35. 5%) counterparts, who predominantly reported mild levels of concern,” the authors wrote.

They said body weight is a well-established factor influencing psychological well-being in young adults, and the study provides a more nuanced perspective by identifying aspects influenced by body image concerns. The impact of body image concerns on participants’ psychological well-being varied across the weight categories studied – underweight, normal, overweight and obese – with higher self-consciousness seen in obese participants and lower self-confidence in those who were underweight. Self-confidence problems were also seen in obese participants, although to a lesser extent, the researchers said.

She said the study highlights the urgent need for comprehensive health policies addressing body image concerns among young adults of different weight groups. Educational institutions and health care systems should incorporate body image literacy and resilience-building programs, the team said. This way, she said, policymakers can create a more inclusive, stigma-free health care environment that supports both physical and mental well-being in young adults.