Objectives:
The aim of the study was to determine whether global self-esteem and physical attractiveness related self-esteem are predictors of jealousy intensity, and whether body mass index moderates the relationship between these aspects of self-esteem and jealousy.

Material and methods:
The study involved 264 women aged 19 to 65 years (M = 35.24; SD = 9.18), who were in romantic relationships. Participants were divided into a group with normal body mass index and a group with above-normal body mass index. The Multidimensional Self-Esteem Inventory and Multidimensional Jealousy Scale were used.

Results:
The analysis showed that only global self-esteem is a predictor of emotional jealousy intensity within the entire group of women. Body mass index moderated the relationship between the two aspects of self-esteem and emotional as well as behavioral jealousy. Specifically, more significant relationships were found in the group of women with above-normal body mass index. The results also showed that self-evaluation of one's physical attractiveness could act as a predictor for romantic jealousy, and this effect is particularly visible in overweight or obese women.

Conclusions:
This study suggests that the relationship between self-esteem and jealousy may be different in women with a normal body mass index and those who are overweight or obese. The results of the study are in line with earlier research indicating an association between global self-esteem and jealousy, but the present study adds some important information about body mass index as a moderator between those variables. Furthermore, this study demonstrates that self-perceived physical attractiveness is also related to the experience and expression of jealousy.