Perceived overweight/obesity, low resilience, and body size dissatisfaction among adolescents

Objective: The obesity epidemic has been compounded by the stress of weight stigmatization. Resilience helps adolescents achieve positive outcomes during times of stress. This study aimed to determine relationships between overweight/obesity, perceived overweight/obesity, body size dissatisfaction (BSD), and/or resilience using a novel assessment tool among adolescents, and to determine if a modifiable factor such as resilience holds potential for treatments for BSD.

Methods: Adolescents, ages 13-21, were recruited from clinics at an academic medical center. Weight, height, demographic characteristics, BSD, and resilience were assessed via questionnaires and health records. A model of predictive variables for BSD was tested, and an adjusted analysis was performed using logistic regression.

Results: Eighty-five adolescents participated: 48% overweight/obese, 32% BSD, and 53% low resilience (LR). There was no association between actual and perceived overweight/obesity and LR (P=0.386 and P=0.123, respectively). Perceived overweight/obesity was five times (AOR 5.3; 95% CI=1.6-14.5; P=0.004) and LR was six times (AOR 6.4; 95% CI=1.9-22.4; P=0.003) more likely to be associated with BSD. The strongest sub-component of LR associated with BSD, was low confidence (OR 4.7; 95% CI=1.4-15.2; P=0.008).

Conclusions: LR and perceived overweight/obesity are independently associated with BSD. This finding is important because resilience can be improved, thus highlighting a need for future studies involving resilience building interventions to decrease BSD.