Composição corporal e estado emocional relacionados à satisfação com o peso corporal : um estudo com mulheres praticantes de academia.

Abstract

Introduction: Exercising at gyms has been considered an effective strategy for promoting physical, emotional, and social health among women seeking to improve their body composition, as well as minimizing symptoms of anxiety, stress, and depression. General objective: To relate satisfaction with body weight with body composition and emotional state of women who practice physical exercise at gyms in Santa Cruz do Sul, RS. Manuscript 1: A total of 223 women were assessed and divided into three groups based on body weight satisfaction: satisfied with their weight, dissatisfied and wanting to lose weight, and dissatisfied and wanting to gain weight. The majority of participants (58.3%) were dissatisfied with their body weight and wanted to lose weight. Satisfaction was significantly associated with age (p=0.002), marital status (p=0.034), and weekly exercise frequency (p=0.015). Dissatisfied women who wanted to lose weight had higher body weight (p<0.001) and BMI (p<0.001) compared to those who were satisfied with their weight or wanted to gain it. The thickness of skinfolds varied significantly between satisfaction groups (p<0.05), being greater in the triceps, biceps, subscapular, abdominal, pectoral, thoracic and iliac crest skinfolds among those who wanted to lose weight compared to those who were satisfied, as well as greater skinfolds in the biceps, subscapular, pectoral and thoracic skinfolds than those who would like to gain weight. Manuscript 2: Regarding emotional state, 251 women were evaluated, of which 64.9% reported being dissatisfied with their body weight. After adjusting for age, it was found that women dissatisfied with their body weight were 2.14 and 2.78 times more likely, respectively, to experience mild or moderate symptoms of anxiety (p=0.047) and depression (p=0.004) compared to those satisfied with their weight. Perceived dissatisfaction with body weight, in relation to the desire to lose or gain weight, showed that dissatisfied women who wanted to lose weight were more likely to experience mild to moderate symptoms of depression (p=0.002). Final considerations: The results show that body weight dissatisfaction in women who exercise is associated with both body composition indicators, such as skinfold thickness, and a higher prevalence of mild to moderate symptoms of anxiety and depression. These results reinforce the importance of interventions that consider physical and emotional aspects to promote the overall well-being of women who exercise.