The relationship between Body Mass Index and abnormal psychological and personality variables

The Body Mass Index (BMI) was created in order to classify individuals into body weight categories ranging from below normal to very obese, depending on the individual's weight and height. The Body Mass Index has been identified as a marker for psychological issues such as self-control, self-esteem, depression, and anxiety. This study used a data matrix composed of a sample of 2,506 police officer candidates. The BMI's were calculated and correlated with 343 personality variables, including the MMPI-II and the Personality Assessment Index. The results indicated a total of 87 significant correlations, 20 at the.05 level and 67 at the.01 level. Despite the fact that many of the correlations were small, the large number of correlations indicates a significant relationship between BMI's and individuals with problematic psychological and personality characteristics. Discussion centers upon explanations of the relationship between the Body Mass Index and various psychological concepts. © 2006 Society for Police and Criminal Psychology.