Body Shaming and Body Dissatisfaction with Mediating Role of Social Appearance Anxiety among Women University Students with Below and Above Average Body Mass Index

Body shaming, social appearance anxiety and body dissatisfaction among women university students are seen as arising concerns in this modern era of rapid involvement of women in almost all areas of life along with men. The aim of this research was to investigate the relationship of body shaming and body dissatisfaction with the mediating role of social appearance anxiety among women university students with below and above average body mass index. It was hypothesized that body shaming, social appearance anxiety and body dissatisfaction have significant relationship among them. Additionally, it was hypothesized that social appearance anxiety plays a mediating role between body shaming and body dissatisfaction. For this purpose, a total of N=172 women university students with age range of 18-25 years with above and below average Body Mass Index were recruited. The recruited sample was surveyed using demographic information questionnaire including BMI, body related shame scale, social appearance anxiety subscale, and body dissatisfaction scale. It was found that there is a relationship between BMI (below and above), body shaming, social appearance anxiety and body dissatisfaction. It was also found that social appearance anxiety plays a mediating role between body shaming and body dissatisfaction with below and above BMI women students. Additionally, body shaming and social appearance anxiety predicted body dissatisfaction. This research has suggested to tackle the social pressure faced by women because of the body perfect ideals being portrayed on social and mass media; underlined the need to modify women’s own perceptual self, refrain from social comparisons, and the society’s thinking towards a perfect body positive approach. The study has implications for the women life with body dissatisfaction, counseling psychologists, media communication and social policy makers. The study has psychosocial and financial implications with high social impact on society as well.