Body weight perceptions and how they relate to fad diets among emerging adults: a cross-sectional study

This study investigated the relationships among body weight perception (BWP), weight status, attitudes toward healthy nutrition, health perception, body appreciation, and dietary habits, including fad dieting in emerging adults. A total of 91 males and 274 females aged 18-25 completed a survey covering general characteristics, various scales, and anthropometric measurements. Results showed that 67.4% of the emerging adults had accurate body perception (ABP), while 32.6% had inaccurate body perception (IBP). Non-dieters were more likely to have ABP (44.7%) compared to IBP (17.3%) and fad dieters were more common in the ABP group (13.1%) versus the IBP group (9.6%) (p = 0.041). Participants who did not engage in Unhealthy Weight Control Behaviors (UWCB) scored significantly higher on the Attitude Scale for Healthy Nutrition (ASHN) and Body Appreciation Scale (BAS). Health perception (PHS) positively affected ASHN both directly (β = 0.402, p < 0.001) and indirectly (β = 0.455, p < 0.001) through BAS according to mediation analysis. The findings indicate that body perception, and body appreciation may influence dietary behaviors. ABP and IBP may not directly correlate with body image dissatisfaction, therefore ABP isn't a guarantee of healthy dietary choices. PHS, BAS and ASHN may play an active role on UWCB in conjunction with each other.