Associate Professor Naomi Hayami
IAS Spotlight: Body Image, Eating Problems & Health
Osaka Metropolitan University
Naomi Hayami is an Associate Professor at Osaka Metropolitan University (Graduate School of Human Life and Ecology). Her research focuses on positive body image, thin-ideal internalization, and dieting-related behaviours, particularly the factors that shape drive for thinness and weight-control practices among girls and young women and how these relate to eating patterns and wellbeing.
She conducts survey-based research to identify psychosocial and behavioural determinants of dieting behaviour, including body appreciation and body dissatisfaction, appearance-related social pressures, media and social networking influences, peer and family context, and individual resources such as self-efficacy and health attitudes. The goal of this work is to translate evidence into health promotion and nutrition education, supporting prevention-oriented, weight-neutral approaches that help young people develop healthier relationships with food and their bodies.
She also engages in cross-cultural comparative research through networks such as The International Academy for Body Image, Eating Problems and Health, contributing to internationally comparable evidence that informs the design and implementation of education programs.
During their IAS Fellowship, Associate Professor Hayami will be collaborating with Dr Hannah White from the School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences.