Analysis of the link between body shape indices andeating behavior

This study was conducted to examine the effect of body shape indices on eating behavior. The research was carried out in 2024 with 157 adult women who applied to the diet outpatient clinic of a private hospital in Mersin, Türkiye. Based on anthropometric measurements obtained from participants, the following body shape indices were calculated: Body Roundness Index (BRI), Conicity Index (CI), Fat-Free Mass Index (FFMI), Abdominal Volume Index (AVI), A Body Shape Index (ABSI), and Body Adiposity Index (BAI). Risk of disordered eating was assessed using the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-40), while body image was evaluated with the Body Image Scale (BIS). Hierarchical Multiple linear regression analyses were performed to determine the relationship between body shape indices and eating behavior. Among these indices, only the CI was found to be a statistically significant predictor of eating attitude scores (p < 0.05). However, ROC analysis revealed that the CI lacked significant predictive power for disordered eating risk, as the AUC value did not reach statistical significance. These findings suggest that the body shape indices used in this study were insufficient in predicting disordered eating behaviors. Considering that body image is a psychosocial construct requiring cultural sensitivity, it is recommended that population-specific body shape indices be developed for societies like Türkiye, which possess unique sociocultural characteristics.