Researchers have determined that body mass index plays only a minor role in how a woman views her body image.


Ohio State psychologists discovered women are more concerned with how important others view them and their bodies.

That means they will eat if they get hungry, as long as they believe others think they look good.


"Women who focus more on how their bodies function and less on how they appear to others are going to have a healthier, more positive body image and a tendency to eat according to their bodies' needs rather than according to what society dictates," said Tracy Tylka, associate professor of psychology at Ohio State University and senior author of the study.

See the full study release here.


Women age 26 to 39 were most likely to achieve body appreciation by focusing more on how their bodies function rather than how they physically appear.


(Image: WENN)