Assessment of body image distortion and dissatisfaction in students and healthcare professionals/Avaliacao da distorcao da imagem corporal e insatisfacao corporal dos estudantes e profissionais de saude

Introduction: Eating disorders are behavioral syndromes that have a multifactorial etiology involving genetic, psychological, and sociocultural factors. The concern with body image and, as a consequence, the higher incidence of eating disorders has become a major burden among health professionals. Objective: Evaluate the distortion and dissatisfaction of body image and risk of eating disorder. Methods: Cross-sectional study, with 225 professionals and senior students in the health area, from the Southeast Region of Brazil. The distortion of body image and body dissatisfaction were measured by the scale of silhouettes and compared with the real body mass index. The risk of eating disorders was assessed using the Eating Attitude Test. Results: The prevalence of body image distortion of "perception of seeing oneself bigger" was 76.89%; 52.00% of participants wished to lose weight, with highest prevalence among women (78.63%). Some factors were determinant for these results, among them, being female, excess of body fat, increased waist circumference and BMI. When assessing the risk of developing ED, professionals who see themselves smaller (20.51%) and those who were satisfied with their body image (22.64%) have higher risk of develop ED. Conclusion: Distortion and dissatisfaction of body image were prevalent among health professionals, especially nutritionists. The waist circumference above or equal to 94 cm for men and 80 cm for women, and the increased BMI, increase the chances of distortion and dissatisfaction of body image. Keywords: Body Image Dissatisfaction. Body Image Distortion. Eating Disorders. Waist Circumference. Body Mass Index. Introducao: Os disturbios alimentares sao sindromes comportamentais que tem uma etiologia multifatorial envolvendo fatores geneticos, psicologicos e socioculturais. A preocupacao com a imagem corporal e, como consequencia, a maior incidencia de disturbios alimentares, tornou-se um grande fardo entre os profissionais de saude. Objetivo: Avaliar a distorcao e insatisfacao da imagem corporal e o risco de disturbios alimentares. Metodos: Estudo transversal, com 225 profissionais e estudantes dos ultimos dois anos de cursos da area de saude, de um municipio da Regiao Sudeste do Brasil. A distorcao da imagem corporal e a insatisfacao corporal foram medidas pela escala de silhuetas e comparadas com o indice de massa corporal real. O risco de disturbios alimentares foi avaliado por meio do Teste de Atitude Alimentar (EAT-26). Re