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As the evidence supporting the role of body dissatisfaction (BD) in chronic disease risk factors and health behaviors increases, documenting the prevalence of BD is an essential first step in determining to what degree BD is a public health problem. Therefore, the primary purpose of this study is to critically evaluate research examining the population prevalence of BD among U.S. adults. Seven studies were located and provided estimates of prevalence of BD among U.S. adults that were extremely varied (11%-72% for women, and 8%-61% for men). While some of the variation may be due to increases in BD over time, the literature is also clouded by a lack of randomly selected samples, lack of consistency in measurement tools, lack of consistency in operational definitions of BD, and lack of standardized cut-off points for BD. Recommendations for improving BD prevalence research to enable public health research are provided., (Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Body dissatisfaction (BD) is a primary determinant of eating disorders and has been linked to chronic disease via decreased likelihood of cancer screening self-exams and smoking cessation. Yet, there are few recent estimates of the prevalence of BD among United States adults. Using an internet-based, opt-in, cross-sectional survey, United States adults (N=1893) completed assessments of demographic variables, body areas satisfaction, appearance evaluation, fitness evaluation, health evaluation, and overweight preoccupation. Results revealed that the range of BD is 13.4%-31.8% among women and 9.0%-28.4% among men. Compared to previous assessments of prevalence (1973, 1986, 1995, 1997), the prevalence of BD among United States adults may have plateaued or declined over time., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Despite advancements in health behavior theory and practice, less than half of the United States population meets physical activity recommendations. Two cross-sectional studies (n=432; n=1455) were conducted to explore associations between body satisfaction and Transtheoretical Model (TTM) constructs proposed to explain the physical activity behavior change process. A series of regression analyses were conducted, controlling for demographic and TTM variables, as appropriate. Results indicate that body satisfaction significantly explains 2-8% of variance in the TTM constructs responsible for promoting stage movement. Furthermore, body satisfaction was significantly associated with stages of change representing short (>6 months) and long-term (>5 years) maintenance of physical activity. Future research should continue to examine these construct relationships using more rigorous research designs, with the ultimate goal of implementing body satisfaction components alongside traditionally effective TTM interventions to improve physical activity maintenance., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship among body image, exercise behavior, body mass index (BMI), and primary exercise dependence symptoms in physically active individuals., Method: Male and female university students (N = 474) completed self-report measures of exercise behavior, height, weight, exercise dependence symptoms, social physique anxiety, and body satisfaction., Results: Hierarchical multiple regressions with forced block entry by gender were conducted to examine the effects of exercise behavior, BMI, and exercise dependence symptoms on body satisfaction and social physique anxiety. For females, BMI was the strongest positive predictor of body dissatisfaction and social physique anxiety. For males, exercise behavior was the strongest negative predictor of body dissatisfaction and social physique anxiety., Discussion: It was concluded that after controlling for the effects of BMI and exercise behavior, primary exercise dependence symptoms were not strong predictors on body image, especially for females., (Copyright 2002 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

This review applied meta-analytic procedures to integrate research findings examining the impact of exercise on body image. We performed extensive literature searching strategies and located 121 published and unpublished studies that examined the impact of exercise on body image. Primary study results were coded, and meta-analytic procedures were conducted. Studies were grouped into intervention (i.e., exercise vs nonexercise group post-exercise intervention body-image scores), single group (i.e., pre vs post exercise intervention body-image scores), and correlational (i.e., exercisers vs nonexercisers body-image scores) effect sizes. Small effect sizes (that were weighted by sample size), that were significantly different from zero, indicated that: (a) exercisers had a more positive body image than nonexercisers; (b) exercise intervention participants reported a more positive body image post intervention compared to the nonexercising control participants; and (c) exercisers had a significant improvement in body image scores following an exercise intervention. We concluded that exercise was associated with improved body image. Moderating variables and implications for exercise prescription to improve body image were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Exposure to the media''s “ideal” physique increases mood and body image disturbance, especially for at-risk women. Because exercise decreases mood and body image disturbance, we examined the ability of acute aerobic exercise to moderate the negative psychological impact of exposure to media pictures of the “ideal” female body. Women reporting high drive for thinness and media internalization viewed pictures of either nonphysique or “ideal” physique pictures after engaging in 30min of either aerobic exercise or quiet rest. Compared to the nonphysique pictures, viewing the physique pictures resulted in increased depression and body dissatisfaction. Acute aerobic exercise, however, did not moderate the negative mood states elicited by the media images. Implications of our results and future directions for research are discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]