Is obesity and body perception disturbance related to social media addiction among university students?

Objective The use of social networks has grown substantially over the past few years and especially during COVID-19. This study aims to investigate the possible relationship between social media addiction and obesity which may lead to disturbed body perception in university students. Participants: A total of 250 undergraduates participated. Results: Social media addiction depends on the number of years of social media use, meal skipping, and increased frequency of fast food consumption. There was a significant relationship between fast-food consumption frequency and body perception. No significant relationship was found between BMI and SMAS while there was a significant relationship between SMAS and body perception. Conclusion: The findings support, social media addiction may lead to increased risk factors for obesity and as a consequence impair body perception in young adults.