Original Article

Year : 2018 | Volume : 3 | Issue : 1 | Page : 6 - 9

Body Image Perception: An Early Predictor of Weight Change among Medical Students

Bhawana Pant, Sartaj Ahmad, Arvind Kumar Shukla, Chhavi Kiran

Department of Community Medicine, Subharti Medical College, Swami Vivekanand Subharti University, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India

Address for correspondence:

Dr. Arvind Kumar Shukla,

Department of Community Medicine, Subharti Medical College, Swami Vivekanand Subharti University, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India.

E‐mail: arvindshukla_vns@rediffmail.com

Abstract

Body image is a multidimensional dynamic construct that involves internal biological and psychological factors as well as external cultural and social determinants. Individuals who perceive their bodies negatively with regard to culturally valued features may have low self-esteem, low satisfaction in life, and feeling of inferiority and pose themselves at higher risk for depression, anxiety, or eating disorders. With the change in epidemiological shift, India is witnessing simultaneous manifestation of double burden of communicable and noncommunicable disease with a challenging and daunting task for stakeholders to identify issues, resolve conflict, mobilize resources, and overcome situation with innovative solution and strategies. The presence of psychological and psychiatric morbidities among medical students has been reported in various studies conducted across the world.

Keywords: Body dysmorphic disorders, body weight, features appearance, medical students

Financial support and sponsorship

Nil.

Conflicts of interest

There are no conflicts of interest.

How to cite this article: Pant B, Ahmad S, Shukla AK, Kiran C. Body image perception: An early predictor of weight change among medical students. Int J Soc Rehabil 2018;3:6-9.