Body image and obesity in adulthood

This article summarizes the relationship between body image and obesity among adults. It begins with an overview of the etiology of body image dissatisfaction among obese persons. This section will discuss the prevalence and nature of body image dissatisfaction, and its relationship to symptoms of psychopathology. The article then focuses on the assessment of body image and provides an overview of the commonly used psychometric measures. It next turns to the role of psychotherapeutic interventions to treat body image dissatisfaction as a component of comprehensive weight reduction programs. The article concludes by proposing several areas for future study.