More than just body weight: The role of body image in psychological and physical functioning

• Body image mediated a negative relationship between BMI and physical functioning.
• Measures of health were regressed onto BMI, age, and body image.
• Body image emerged as the only significant contributor to physical functioning.
• Body image emerged as the only significant contributor to psychosocial functioning.
• Higher BMI predicted higher self-esteem when body image and age were controlled.

The current study examined BMI and body image dissatisfaction as predictors of physical and mental health-related quality of life (HRQL) and psychosocial functioning in a sample of 414 undergraduate students (mean age = 21.5, SD = 4.9; mean BMI = 23.6, SD = 5.2). In men and women, higher BMI was correlated with body image dissatisfaction and physical HRQL, but not with any measures of psychosocial functioning, whereas higher body image dissatisfaction was associated with poorer physical HRQL and psychosocial functioning. Furthermore, body image dissatisfaction was observed to mediate the relationship between BMI and physical HRQL in men and women. Interestingly, in this model, higher BMI predicted increased self-esteem. These findings suggest that body image dissatisfaction may be an important target for health interventions.