How I see myself: body image components among dietitians working in Clinical Nutrition and Foodservice Nutrition
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12957/demetra.2026.86504Keywords:
Body Mass Index. Body image. Self-esteem. Dietitians.Abstract
Concerns about appearance and body image satisfaction are directly related to self-esteem, including among dietitians, whose knowledge of healthy eating may generate expectations regarding the maintenance of an “ideal body.” This study aimed to investigate differences in Body Mass Index (BMI), body image, and self-esteem among dietitians working in Clinical Nutrition (CN) and Foodservice Nutrition (FN).A total of 1,004 Brazilian female dietitians, aged 20 to 59, participated online. This total included 730 dietitians working in CN and 274 in FN. The Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire-Appearance Scales (MBSRQ-AS) and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) were used, and the data were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney test (SPSS, version 23.0; p < 0.05). The mean age and BMI were 32.18 ± 7.85 yearsand 23.78 ± 4.18 kg/m², respectively, among those working in CN, and 32.84 ± 7,08 yearsand 25.13 ± 4,63 kg/m², respectively, for those working in FN. The professionals working in CN had a lower BMI (p < 0.001) and higher satisfaction scores regarding overall appearance (p = 0.002) and body areas (p = 0.001) than those working in FN, who, in turn, showed greater overweight preoccupation and a higher self-classified body weight (p < 0.001). It was concluded that dietitians working in CN had a lower BMI and greater appearance satisfaction, whereas those working in FN showed greater concern about and self-assessment of their body weight.
Downloads
References
1. Eknoyan G. A history of obesity, or how what was good became ugly and then bad. Adv Chronic Kidney Dis [Internet]. 2006 Oct;13(4):421-7. https://doi.org/10.1053/j.ackd.2006.07.002. [Acesso em 24 ago 2026]. Disponível em: https://www.akdh.org/article/S1548-5595(06)00106-6/fulltext
2. Magalhães LM, Brasil e Bernardes AC, Tiengo A. A influência de blogueiras fitness não consome alimentos da população. Revista Brasileira de Obesidade, Nutrição e Emagrecimento [Internet]. 2017;11(68):685-92. [Acesso em 24 ago 2026]. Disponível em: http://www.rbone.com.br/index.php/rbone/article/view/629/492.
3. Cash TF. Body image: past, present, and future. Body Image [Internet]. Jan 2004;1(1):1-5. https://doi.org/10.1016/s1740-1445(03)00011-1. [Acesso em 10 jun 2022]. Disponível em:https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1740144503000111?via%3Dihub
4. Banfield SS, McCabe MP. An evaluation of the construct of body image. Adolescence. 2002;37(146):373-93.
5. Souza EA, Silva FA. Aspectos psicológicos da mulher na busca da beleza. Revista Científica Multidisciplinar Núcleo do Conhecimento [Internet]. 1 jul 2017; 01:203. [Acesso em 24 ago 2026]. Disponível em: https://www.nucleodoconhecimento.com.br/psicologia/mulher-na-busca-da-beleza
6. Laus MF, Kakeshita IS, Costa TMB, Ferreira MEC, Fortes L de S, Almeida SS. Imagem corporal no Brasil: avanços recentes no estado do conhecimento e questões metodológicas. Rev Saúde Pública [Internet]. 2014 Abr;48(2):331–46. https://doi.org/ 10.1590/S0034-8910.2014048004950. [Acesso em 24 ago 2026]. Disponível em: https://www.scielo.br/j/rsp/a/K9TDhPLsGQrWHz8SJhZgRgp/?lang=en
7. Costa LD, Vasconcelos FD. Influência de fatores socioeconômicos, comportamentais e nutricionais na insatisfação com a imagem corporal de universitárias em Florianópolis, SC. Revista Brasileira de Epidemiologia [Internet]. Dez 2010; 13(4):665-76. https://doi.org/10.1590/s1415-790x2010000400011. [Acesso em 24 ago 2026]. Disponível em: https://www.scielo.br/j/rbepid/a/Z4B4PCzMfmBvbzMVCDdD3YC/?lang=pt
8. Bosi ML, Luiz RR, Morgado CM, Costa ML, Carvalho RJ. Autopercepção da imagem corporal entre estudantes de nutrição: um estudo no município do Rio de Janeiro. Jornal Brasileiro de Psiquiatria [Internet]. 2006; 55(2):108-13. https://doi.org/10.1590/s0047-20852006000200003. [Acesso em 2 jul 2022]. Disponível em: https://www.scielo.br/j/jbpsiq/a/s3Cm7X4z47JbksQmSn8cLSP/?lang=pt
9. Silva PVS. Comportamento alimentar transtornado e sua relação com diferentes componentes da imagem corporal e ansiedade em nutricionistas [Dissertação de mestrado]. Ribeirão Preto: Universidade de São Paulo Faculdade de Filosofia Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto; 2020. 64 p.
10. Araujo KL, Pena PGL, Freitas MCS. Sofrimento e preconceito: trajetórias percorridas por nutricionistas obesas em busca do emagrecimento. Ciênc Saúde Colet [Internet]. 2015;20(9):2787-96. https://doi.org/10.1590/1413-81232015209.07542014. [Acesso em 24 ago 2026]. Disponível em: https://www.scielo.br/j/csc/a/GhR44D3dY8RzF8dMZsR4nbD/?lang=pt
11. Araujo KL, Pena PGL, Freitas MCS, Diez-Garcia RW. Estigma do nutricionista com obesidade no mundo do trabalho. Rev Nutr [Internet]. 2015;28(6):569-79. https://doi.org/10.1590/1415-52732015000600001. [Acesso em 24 ago 2026]. Disponível em: https://www.scielo.br/j/rn/a/cWQhb3Q9MyNX4tKvyqywf7f/?lang=pt
12. Cassiano GS, Carvalho-Ferreira JP, Buckland NJ, Ulian MD, da Cunha DT. Are Dietitians With Obesity Perceived as Competent and Warm? Applying the Stereotype Content Model to Weight Stigma in Brazil. Frontiers in Nutrition. 2022 Feb 25;9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2022.813344. [Acesso em 24 ago 2026]. Disponível em: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2022.813344/full
13. Porter J, Collins J. Do images of dietitians on the Internet reflect the profession? Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics. 2020 Jul 29;34(1):106–14. https://doi.org/10.1111/jhn.12793. [Acesso em 24 ago 2026]. Disponível em: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jhn.12793
14. Villela MCE, Azevedo E. Controle de si e cuidado de si: uma reflexão sobre a ciência da nutrição. Demetra [Internet]. 2021;16:e47183. https://doi.org/10.12957/demetra.2021.47183. [Acesso em 24 ago 2026]. Disponível em: https://www.e-publicacoes.uerj.br/index.php/demetra/article/view/47183
15. Nazaret A dos S, Pereira PM de L, Souza AEC, Vieira PAF. Body image dissatisfaction and distortion among food service workers. Revista Brasileira de Medicina do Trabalho. 2020 Jul 17;18(1):59–65. https://doi.org/10.5327/Z1679443520200442. [Acesso em 24 ago 2026]. Disponível em: https://www.rbmt.org.br/details/1512/pt-BR/body-image-dissatisfaction-and-distortion-among-food-service-workers
16. Rodrigues KM, Peres F, Waissmann W. Condições de trabalho e perfil profissional dos nutricionistas egressos da Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, entre 1994 e 2001. Ciênc Saúde Colet [Internet]. 2007;12(4):1021-31. https://doi.org/10.1590/s1413-81232007000400023. [Citado em 24 ago 2026]. Disponível em: https://www.scielo.br/j/csc/a/TcnsZJKRK37MHZmS5K3scsh/?lang=pt
17. Fonseca KZ, Santana GR. O nutricionista como promotor da saúde em unidades de alimentação e nutrição: dificuldades e desafios do fazer. Enciclopédia Biosfera [Internet]. 2011;7(13):1466-76. [Citado em 24 ago 2026]. Disponível em: https://www.conhecer.org.br/enciclop/2011b/ciencias%20da%20saude/o%20nutricionista.pdf
18. Conselho Federal de Nutricionistas. Inserção profissional dos nutricionistas no Brasil [Internet]. 1a ed. Brasília: CFN; 2019. [Citado em 24 ago 2026]. Disponível em: https://cfn.org.br/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/CARTILHA%20CFN_VERSAO_DIGITAL.pdf
19. World Health Organization. Obesity: preventing and managing the global epidemic: report of a WHO consultation [Internet]. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2000. (WHO Technical Report Series; 894). [Citado em 24 ago 2026]. Disponível em: https://iris.who.int/handle/10665/42330
20. Cash TF. Encyclopedia of Feeding and Eating Disorders [Internet]. Singapore: Springer Singapore; 2015. Multidimensional Body–Self Relations Questionnaire (MBSRQ); p. 1-4. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-087-2_3-1. [Citado em 24 ago 2026]. Disponível em: https://link.springer.com/rwe/10.1007/978-981-287-087-2_3-1
21. Laus MF, Vales LD, Oliveira NG, Braga Costa TM, Almeida SS. Brazilian version of the Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire-Appearance Scales (MBSRQ-AS): translation and psychometric properties in adults. Eating and Weight Disorders - Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity [Internet]. 30 jul 2019; 25(5):1253-66. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-019-00758-w. [Citado em 24 ago 2026]. Disponível em: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40519-019-00758-w
22. Rosenberg M. Society and the adolescent self-image. Princeton: Princeton University Press; 1965
23. Hutz CS, Zanon C. Revisão da adaptação, validação e normatização da escala de autoestima de Rosenberg [Internet]. Aval Psicol. 2011;10(1):41-9. [Citado em 24 ago 2026]. Disponível em: https://pepsic.bvsalud.org/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1677-04712011000100005
24. Silva TM, Aguiar OB, Fonseca MD. Associação entre sobrepeso, obesidade e transtornos mentais comuns em nutricionistas. Jornal Brasileiro de Psiquiatria [Internet].2015;64(1):24-31. https://doi.org/10.1590/0047-2085000000053. [Citado em 24 ago 2026]. Disponível em:https://www.scielo.br/j/jbpsiq/a/S6kRyFgfvLTz8jn59w4bfXN/?lang=pt
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Juliana Miranda de Oliveira Carvalho, Paula Victoria Sozza, Telma Maria Braga Costa
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP RESPONSIBILITY
Title of the manuscript:
________________________________________________________
1. Statement of responsability
I certify that I have participated in the work above specified and take public responsibility for its content.
I certify that the manuscript represents an original work and that none of the material in the manuscript has been previously published, is included in another manuscript, or is currently under consideration for publication elsewhere, whether in printed form or in electronic media, except that described in the attachment.
In case of acceptance of this text by Demetra: Alimentação, Nutrição & Saude, I declare to be in accordance with the policy of public access and copyright adopted by Demetra, which provides as follows: (a) the authors retain the copyright and grant to the Journal the right of first publication, the work being simultaneously licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which allows the sharing of the work with acknowledgment of authorship and initial publication in this journal; (b) authors are authorized to enter additional contracts separately for non-exclusive distribution of the version of the work published in this journal (eg, publishing in institutional repository or book chapter), with acknowledgment of authorship and initial publication in this journal; and (c) authors are permitted and encouraged to post and distribute their work online (eg, in institutional repositories or on their personal page) at any point before or during the editorial process, as this may lead to productive changes, as well as increase the impact and citation of the published work.
2. Conflict of Interest Statement
I certify that there is no conflict of interest in connection with the submitted article.
Date, signature and full address of all authors.
