Body size dissatisfaction among male and female triathletes

Body size dissatisfaction was assessed among 583 male and female triathletes residing in the USA. The males perceived themselves to be larger than their calculated body mass index (BMI discrepancy index: -1.92) and desired to be larger (BMI discrepancy index: -0.7), whereas the females perceived themselves to be smaller than their calculated BMI (BMI discrepancy index: 1.67) and desired to be much smaller (BMI discrepancy index: 3.61). The male triathletes categorised as underweight showed no discrepancy between their perceived and desired BMI, whereas 10% of the females in the underweight category desired to be larger than perceived and 13% desired to be smaller. Among the males whose BMI fell into the healthy range, 8.0% indicated a desire to be larger than perceived and 19.3% desired to be smaller; the majority of female triathletes in the healthy BMI category desired to be smaller, with only 2.4% desiring to be larger.