FootStep illusion_Obesity: Exploring Body Perception in Women with Obesity through an Auditory-Induced Body Weight Illusion.

In the Footsteps Illusion, modified action-contingent footstep sounds can alter bodily perceptions, affect, and gait. Whether these effects extend to obesity is unknown. Given evidence of altered body representation and multisensory processing in obesity, examining responses to auditory feedback may clarify how such cues shape bodily experience. Twenty-five women with obesity and twenty-five age-matched healthy-weight women walked while hearing high-frequency (HF), low-frequency (LF), or control footstep sounds. Body perceptions, affect, body visualization, gait, and binge-eating symptoms were assessed. Across groups, HF versus LF sounds reduced perceived foot localization, increased the perceived weight of the visualized body, and accelerated downward foot movement, contrary to findings from previous healthy samples. No Group × Sound interactions emerged. Within the obesity group, foot localization varied across sound conditions. After controlling for binge-eating symptoms, HF sounds were associated with greater perceived dominance, quickness, and strength. These exploratory findings suggest that footstep sounds can modulate bodily experience in women with obesity and that binge-eating symptoms may be relevant to multisensory body perception. Auditory-based body illusions warrant further investigation as potential tools for body image interventions. This dataset consisted of measurements obtained from 50 female participants aged between 18 and 49 years old. Participants were divided into two groups: healthy-weight women (HC, N=25) and women with obesity (OB, N=25). The study used self-report, body visualization, and behavioral (gait) measures to investigate the impact of auditory-driven body illusions on bodily perceptions, affect, and walking patterns. Binge-eating symptoms were also assessed using the Binge Eating Scale (BES). Data description: The dataset includes demographic, self-report, body visualization, and behavioral (gait) measures. Demographic data include age, height, weight, BMI, education, and dominant hand. Self-report data consist of 11 questionnaire items assessing happiness, arousal, dominance, quickness, perceived weight, posture, gender, feet localization, vividness, surprise, and agency. Body visualization data include avatar weight and body weight distortion. Gait measures include step timing, cadence, number of steps, velocity, acceleration, and maximum knee flexion angle.Acquisition methods: The Footsteps Illusion was used to manipulate bodily perceptions through modified auditory feedback (Low-Control and High-Control conditions). Gait data were recorded using movement sensors, body visualization data through a computer-based avatar task, and self-report data through questionnaires.Participants: The study included 50 women: 25 women with obesity and 25 age-matched healthy-weight women. Binge-eating symptoms were assessed using the Binge Eating Scale (BES).Analysis methods: Gait, questionnaire, and body visualization data were analyzed to examine the effects of auditory feedback conditions, differences between groups, and the relationship between binge-eating symptoms and body perception.