Body Image and Psychopathology in Men Over 65: Is It Time to Revise BMI Cutoffs?

Body dissatisfaction (BD) and body appreciation (BA) are relevant psychological concerns that affect individuals across various age groups. However, limited research has focused on these issues among older men. The aim of this study is to investigate the prevalence of BD and BA and their relationships with body mass index (BMI) and mental health symptoms in a sample of community-dwelling Italian men aged 65 and above.

Participants in this cross-sectional study (N = 122) completed self-report measures including the figure rating scale (FRS), the body appreciation scale (BAS-2), the Geriatric anxiety scale-short form (GAS-10), and the Geriatric depression scale-short form (GDS-SF). The Kruskal-Wallis test was used to examine differences between groups, and the Mann-Whitney U test was applied for pairwise comparisons.

45.1% of participants experienced some level of BD, with 13.9% demonstrating severe BD, while only 39.3% reported BA. BD was significantly higher in individuals with overweight or obesity. Anxiety and depression symptoms were significantly more common among participants with BD compared to those without. A significant association was also observed between lower BA and increased anxiety, whereas BMI cutoffs did not show significant correlations with BA.

This study highlights the importance of considering BD in older adults. These findings indicate differences in BD across BMI categories, suggesting potential benefits of using age-specific BMI thresholds (27.27 kg/m² or 28 kg/m²) when assessing body image in aging populations. Further research should explore age-specific differences in body image and their implications for mental health in older adults.