Changes in self-esteem, body dissatisfaction, and body appreciation during face-to-face and digital supervised physical activity interventions in women with obesity: A dual-study investigation.

Background: Physical activity (PA) is a cornerstone of obesity treatment. However, changes in self-perceptions during supervised PA interventions remain insufficiently understood, particularly regarding their temporal dynamics and maintenance after intervention completion. Moreover, because individuals with obesity tend to avoid in-person PA due to fear of stigma, digital PA programmes may represent a particularly relevant alternative. Methods: This article reports a multi-time-point intervention study using a dual-independent cohort design. Changes in self-esteem and body image facets during supervised PA interventions in women with obesity were explored in two independent longitudinal studies. Global self-esteem (GSE), physical self-worth (PSW) and its four subdomains (sport competence, physical condition, physical strength and body attractiveness), body dissatisfaction and body appreciation were assessed at baseline, monthly during each intervention, and at three-month follow-up. Results: In Study 1, women who completed the face-to-face intervention (n = 63) showed significant increases in GSE, PSW and its four subdomains, and body appreciation, along with a significant decrease in body dissatisfaction. In Study 2, women who completed the digital intervention (n = 19) showed similar patterns of change, except that GSE, physical strength, and sport competence did not significantly differ from pre-to post-intervention. Across both studies, most changes were observed within the first month, plateaued over the remaining two months, and were maintained at follow-up. A similar pattern was observed across both modalities. Conclusion: These findings suggest that supervised PA interventions, delivered either face-to-face or digitally, may be associated with improvements in self-esteem and body image among women with obesity and that the first weeks of a supervised PA programme may represent a critical moment for these variables. These findings are relevant in the context of the obesity epidemic, as these variables are key indicators of mental health and predictors of healthy behaviours and long-term weight loss.