Interest in the positive aspects of the attitude towards one's body has only started to develop in the last few years. The most studied subject within this area is body appreciation, which is a key component of positive body image. I aimed to broaden the understanding of the factors that contribute to body appreciation. With that in mind, I studied how body mass index (BMI), mindfulness and self-compassion predict body appreciation. I was also interested in whether mindfulness or self-compassion have a moderator role in the relationship between BMI and body appreciation. There were 411 emerging adults (18 to 30 years), who participated in the study, of which there were 23% male, 76% female and 1% non-binary. They completed the Body Appreciation Scale, the Self-Compassion Scale and the Philadelphia Mindfulness Scale. In addition, they answered the questions about their body height and body weight. As expected, the results showed that higher BMI predicts lower body appreciation, while higher mindfulness and self-compassion predict higher body appreciation. Contrary to presumptions, mindfulness and self-compassion do not palliate the negative predictive value that BMI has on body appreciation. Nevertheless, it still makes sense to strengthen them in order to enhance a positive body image, because people that are more mindful and self-compassionate, will hold a fonder and more respectful attitude towards their body. They will also be more grateful for what their body offers and can do for them. The importance of adopting such an attitude towards your body, as well as taking care of mental health in general, was also highlighted by the participants themselves. Therefore, future researches could focus on developing a plan of integrating mindfulness and self-compassion into existing social systems, e.g., schools, medical institutions and working environments.
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