“Alin, Alin, Alin Ang Nataba”: A Quantitative Study of the Body-Shaming Experience, Body Mass Index, and Body Image of Female Undergraduate Students from the University of the Philippines-Manila

Abstract

Body image has been connected to the body-shaming received by adolescents in various literature, and the same relationship has been detected between body image and body mass index. The primary aim of the study is to explore the association between body image and body-shaming experience among female undergraduate students from the University of the Philippines Manila. Through the administration of electronic and physical surveys, the experience of body-shaming among 305 respondents had been explored and their current body image was also analyzed. Upon analysis, mothers had been pointed out as the agent most likely to body-shame the sample. The study showed that women with higher body mass indexes have experienced more instances of body-shaming. Furthermore, women with higher body mass indexes and those who have experienced more instances of body-shaming are more prone to developing body image dissatisfaction.