UAE: Why Body Image Dissatisfaction Peaks During Summer

For the past two years, Sarah*, a 39-year-old executive assistant at a professional service firm, has been actively unlearning the harsh body image standards she once accepted.

“I grew up at the peak of thin culture in the 90s and 00s in the US,” she said.“So there's not a fad diet I haven't tried to lose weight.”

But as she got older, when after her extreme dieting patterns and preoccupation with her body led her to seek professional help, she came to realise there was nothing wrong with her body at all. She'd simply been chasing beauty trends.

“First thin was in, then a more curvy shape became popular, and now it's all about being fit and lean. I got sick of trying to force my body to meet impossible standards. So I went to therapy where I was diagnosed with body dysmorphia and I'm learning how to manage my body image dissatisfaction,” she added.

By her account, Sarah was making real progress. But every summer, like clockwork, when her Instagram feed floods with influencers pushing“summer body” makeovers, she feels herself slipping back into old habits; comparing, criticising, and questioning how far she's really come.

“It's not just on social media, and it's not just me,” explained the Dubai-resident.“It's all my friends can talk about too. If they could just lose five kilos, they say, they'd finally feel good in their skin.”

“It's really hard not to internalise that. I know better, but being constantly bombarded with messages saying you have to look a certain way, it's hard not to feel like your worth still depends on being smaller, fitter, more toned.”

Sarah's experience isn't unique. In fact, it echoes a broader pattern - one that researchers say intensifies with the seasons.

A recent study by the Global Digital Wellbeing Program (Sync), part of the King Abdulaziz Centre for World Culture in Saudi Arabia, analysed over 12 million Twitter/X posts and identified clear seasonal patterns in body image dissatisfaction. Drawing on data from 1,534 users in the UK, USA, Australia, and New Zealand between 2020 and 2023, the study found that dissatisfaction consistently peaked during the summer months in both hemispheres.

“This work points to a predictable recurring seasonal rhythm in how people feel about their bodies, in a large part amplified by social media platforms,” said lead author Dr Justin Thomas.

“These findings might apply to the Gulf if we consider that for some residents, summer also equals vacation time. It might even be that for some Gulf residents, there is also a winter spike during the months of October-February, in that this is the beach season here as the temperature is more tolerable.”

The study has been peer-reviewed and will be presented at this year's British Psychological Society annual conference (Cyber Psychology section). It was led by Dr Justin Thomas and co-authored by Alex Wells, Rana Samad, and Yasmin Al Jedawi, researchers at The Digital Wellbeing Program (Sync) at the King Abdulaziz Centre for World Culture (Ithra); and Dr Dahlia Al Juboori (Johns Hopkins University), and Timothy Regan (Uniformed Services University). It represents one of the most comprehensive investigations into seasonal body image dissatisfaction to date.

On how this type of research appies to the Gulf, Dr Thomas said:“Further research is required to explore how seasonality might impact body image in climates like the UAE and in places where modesty in dress remains a well-respected social norm.”

To that point, Sarah, a practising Muslim who wears the hijab, argued that no woman is immune to the pressure. Beauty ideals, she says, find other ways to reach you.

“Just because I [dress modestly] doesn't mean I'm not affected,” said Sarah.“The pressure just shifts. It's less about showing skin and more about having the 'right' body underneath. You still feel like you're being measured against a standard, even if no one sees it.”

“There are other times of the year - like Eid or before the wedding season - that the algorithm pushes unhelpful weight loss content and it really affects me negatively.”

According to Dr Al Juboori, senior research assistant at Johns Hopkins University and co-author of the study, Sarah's experience further contextualises the study's findings. Holidays that revolve around food or appearance-focused traditions are peak periods for heightened body image concerns.

“We observe a 'perfect storm' where seasonal shifts intensify exposure to idealised body images through media and peer interactions,” she explains.

Because body image dissatisfaction is a known risk factor for eating disorders - the mental health condition with the highest mortality rate - it's crucial for clinicians to recognise these patterns and adjust their interventions accordingly.

“Clinicians in multicultural regions like the Gulf should consider the local cultural calendar and climate when designing interventions that are both emotionally resonant and contextually relevant,” she continued.“Approaches such as media literacy training, cognitive restructuring, and guided discussions around upward social comparisons can help individuals build resilience against these pressures.”

“Social media literacy is especially crucial, as passive consumption of appearance-focused content has been shown to increase BID (body image disorder) via indirect comparison mechanisms.”

The study concludes that public health campaigns targeting body image and eating disorders might be most effective if timed to mitigate these high-risk periods.

“Therapy helped me a lot,” Sarah said.“It taught me to understand that healing isn't a straight line. I can work through the root of my body image issues and feel OK, but that doesn't mean I won't get triggered again - by ads, by the noise around how women 'should' look, especially at certain times of the year. At those times, I practise being more mindful and more critical of the content I consume. And I've learned some helpful tools to maintain resilience.”

It's a work in progress, she admits, but one that's rooted in self-compassion, not perfection.

“I just want women, and men, to know there's no one 'right' way to look. I'm still learning that, even if I slip back into old patterns sometimes.”

*Name changed to protect identity

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