Introduction

Body image problems associated with the risk of eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia, are considered emerging health issues among adolescents around the world. These problems have both physical, psychological and social consequences.

Objective

To determine the correlation between body mass index and the body image perception in a group of teenagers.

Material and Methods

A quantitative, observational, cross-sectional study was carried out in 84 students, 54.1% men and 45.9% women with an age range between 10 and 17 years who were attending primary or secondary school education in a suburban town of high marginalization in Yucatan. Self-applicable Stunkard pictogram was used to record the body image perceptions. To calculate the body mass index (BMI) anthropometric measurements of weight and height were recorded, using a Tanita brand digital scale, TBC model and a stadiometer SECA 310 2 meters length. The cut-off points were those established by the World Health Organization.

Results

The findings regarding the perception of body image showed no significant concordance (k = 0.067, p <0.5); for women was a low value of k = 0.223, they perceive themselves as normal despite their low weight, and those with obesity underestimate their status. In the group of men, in cases of obesity, image and BMI are coincident while a body perception underestimates low weight.

Conclusion

It is important to take into the nutritional diagnosis, contents of emotional aspects as self-esteem and feelings that manifest teenagers about their body image for comprehensive preventive care.

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