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Updated: Jul 26, 2026
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Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
Published on: February 2, 2017
Body size estimation in obese children: a controlled study with the video distortion method
M Probst1, C Braet, W Vandereycken
1University Center St. Joseph, Kortenberg, Belgium.
Summary
The video distortion method reliably assesses body perception in obese children. Obese youth accurately estimated body width but desired a 25% size reduction compared to peers.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric psychology
- Body image research
- Obesity studies
Background:
- Body perception is crucial for psychological well-being.
- Obesity in children impacts self-perception and body image.
- Accurate assessment tools are needed to understand body image in pediatric populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the reliability of the video distortion method for assessing body image in obese children.
- To compare the body perception of obese children with that of non-obese peers.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a video distortion technique for body size estimations.
- Assessed cognitive, affective, and optative body image dimensions.
- Included 41 obese children and 42 age-matched controls.
Main Results:
- The video distortion method demonstrated high reliability in young subjects.
- Obese children showed greater accuracy in estimating their actual body width than controls.
- Obese children expressed a desire to reduce their body size by approximately 25%.
Conclusions:
- The video distortion method is a reliable tool for assessing body perception in obese children.
- Findings highlight discrepancies between actual body size estimation and desired body image in obese youth.
