Youth perception of self and ideal self through drawings: association between perception and weight status

CONTEXT: The body image research literature has addressed how young people perceive their self-image thoroughly. Seldom however were youths asked to draw their current vs. ideal selves, neither has this been explored in comparison to weight differences. METHOD: Ninety participants aged 6–17 (mean 11.73±, SD = 2.84) drew how they perceive themselves (“Me”) and how they might want to look like of they could change their appearance (“Preferred Me”). Participants completed a body figure scale test, and were measured to obtain their BMI percentile. RESULTS: 180 drawings were analyzed. Results revealed a relation between drawing sizes of height, waist, width and weight status. Characters' emotions and weight were also associated. CONCLUSION: Drawings are a youth friendly tool to gain non-invasive insight into youths' body image perception and can help capture perceptions attached to body image and weight. The results matter for medical, educational, and psychological professionals working on creating programs and tools to treat or assess youths' physical and mental challenges related to body image.