Analysis of body image and obesity by Stunkard's silhouettes in 3- to 18-year-old Spanish children and adolescents

Abstract This paper is focused on the study of body image and excess weight and obesity in Spanish children and adolescents. This investigation involved 1082 children and adolescents (541 males and 541 females) from the Region of Murcia, aged between 3 and 18 years (11.85±2.82). The instrument used was Stunkard’s silhouettes. 34% of men and 17.9% of women were classified as overweight/obese, χ 2 (1)=26.936, p=.001, d=0.65. Regarding body image, 61.2% were dissatisfied with their body, highlighting those who would like to be thinner (men 44.7% and women 46%). Therefore, the psychological problem of body dissatisfaction had a higher prevalence than the physiological problem of obesity. It is recommended to implement physical activity programs to improve body image and body composition of children and adolescents in the Region of Murcia.