Silhouette showcards confirm altered obesity-associated body image perception in international cohort study of African-origin populations

Objectives Given the increasing prevalence of obesity and need for effective interventions, there is a growing interest in understanding how an individual’s body image can inform obesity prevention and management. This study’s objective was to examine the use of silhouette showcards to measure body size perception compared with measured body mass index, and assess body size dissatisfaction, in three different African-origin populations spanning the epidemiological transition. An ancillary objective was to investigate associations between body size perception and dissatisfaction with diabetes and hypertension. Setting Research visits were completed in local research clinics in respective countries. Participants Seven hundred and fifty-one African-origin participants from the USA and the Republic of Seychelles (both high-income countries), and Ghana (low/middle-income country). Primary and secondary outcome measures Silhouette showcards were used to measure perceived body size and body size dissatisfaction. Objectively measured body size was measured using a scale and stadiometer. Diabetes was defined as fasting blood glucose ≥126 mg/dL and hypertension was defined as ≥130 mm Hg/80 mm Hg. Results Most women and men from the USA and Seychelles had ‘Perceived minus Actual weight status Discrepancy’ scores less than 0, meaning they underestimated their actual body size. Similarly, most overweight or obese men and women also underestimated their body size, while normal weight men and women were accurately able to estimate their body size. Finally, participants with diabetes were able to accurately estimate their body size and similarly desired a smaller body size. Conclusions This study highlights that overweight and obese women and men from countries spanning the epidemiological transition were unable to accurately perceive their actual body size. Understanding people’s perception of their body size is critical to implementing successful obesity prevention programmes across the epidemiological transition.