Body Image Dissatisfaction, Eating Disorders, and Associated Factors in Brazilian Professional Ballroom Dancers

Abstract

The search for movement plasticity causes dancers to seek to achieve and maintain low body weight, which can lead to dissatisfaction with their body image and to eating disorders. The purpose of this study was to analyze body image satisfaction and the presence of eating disorders and associated factors in professional ballroom dancers in Brazil. Three hundred and twenty dancers took part via a self-reported questionnaire. The majority of the dancers proved to be dissatisfied with their body image; the increase with age of body mass index (BMI) influenced the dissatisfaction due to excess weight. It is concluded that body image is associated with eating disorders, age, and BMI in ballroom dancers.