Objective  To investigate body image perceptions among young adults and to provide evidences for developing intervention measures towards obesity.

  Methods  With advertisements in Beijing and Guangzhou city, we recruited 316 volunteers aged 18 – 44 years for a survey conducted from May to August, 2019. The body image stimuli were used to assess participants′ perceptual body image, ideal body image, body dissatisfaction and standard body image. Meanwhile, height, weight, waist circumference and hip circumference of the participants were measured.

  Results  The participants′ mean scores for perceptual and ideal body image were 4.25 and 3.15, respectively. In terms of body weight, the participants with underweight had the lowest mean perceptual body image score, followed by those with normal weight, overweight, and obesity, with a significant difference among the groups (P < 0.05); the mean perceptual body image score of the participants with the education of middle school and lower was significantly lower than that of participants with college and above education (P < 0.05); the mean ideal body score also differed significantly by participants′ body weight, the score of the participants with underweight was lower than those with obesity; the participants with normal weight had relatively lower score, followed by the scores for those of overweight and obesity (P < 0.05). Of the participants, only 13.9% were completely satisfied with their body size; but 54.1% and 32.0% were moderately and slightly dissatisfied with their body size. The participants′ mean body dissatisfaction scores varied with their body weight in an ascending order of underweight, normal weight, overweight, obesity; the mean body dissatisfaction score of the younger participants (≤ 35 years) was significantly lower than that of the participants aged 35 – 39 years (P < 0.05). Significantly positive associations of body weight, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, hip circumference, and waist-to-hip ratio with perceptual body image score and body dissatisfaction score were observed, with the correlation coefficients ranging between 0.185 − 0.630 (all P < 0.01).

  Conclusion  Among young adults in two Chinese cities, the body image perception is related to somatotype and educational level and most of the young adults are dissatisfied with their body size, suggesting that appropriate intervention measures should be taken for the prevention and control adulthood obesity in the population.