Size overestimation among anorexics: much ado about very little?

Article Abstract:

Close to three decades ago it was proposed that a distorted perception of body size was a primary characteristic of patients with the eating disorder anorexia nervosa. Individuals with this disease, usually young female adolescents, have an intense fear of obesity and are preoccupied with food and body weight; they severely restrict food intake, which results in dramatic weight loss that may lead to death. These individuals have a tendency to perceive their body size as larger than it actually is, and the results of studies have supported this premise. However, there have also been reports that indicate the perception of body size has much to do with the actual size of the body, that is, smaller individuals tend to think they are larger than they actually are. One study of female college students revealed that the smaller the subjects' actual body size, the greater was their overestimation, despite the fact that all of the women were within 20 percent of their ideal weights. To further investigate this behavior, the influence of actual body size on the perception of body size was examined among patients diagnosed with anorexia nervosa. Three groups of women were assessed: 13 anorexics; 13 nonanorexic women who were matched with the anorexics for body size; and 13 nonanorexic women of normal size. Actual body weights were obtained and three specific sites of the body were measured in all of the women. When the subjects were asked to estimate their body size in the three specific sites, the first two groups (the anorexics and the small nonanorexics) overestimated their body size. The degree of distortion of these estimates was not significantly different between the anorexics and the small nonanorexics. However, significant differences were found between the estimates of the first two groups and the control group of normal-sized women, who did not tend to overestimate body size. These findings support the idea that distortion of body image may be common among women of small body size, both anorexic and nonanorexic. This should be considered when body image disturbances are assessed among individuals with eating disorders. A few possible explanations for these observations are briefly discussed. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Research, Anorexia nervosa, Body size, Body weights and measures

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Body image, psychological functioning, and parental feedback regarding physical appearance

Article Abstract:

Feedback from parents regarding appearance can have a significant impact on a child's psychological functioning. In some cases, the damage caused by negative feedback can remain with the child into adult life. Research among 114 male and 139 female undergraduate students indicates a much stronger link between feedback frequency measures and negative body image for women than for men. This is the first study to have included a more subtle measure of feedback, Feedback on Physical Appearance Scale, indicating that less clear ways of providing appearance feedback take place at a much higher frequency than overt teasing events.

Causes of, Eating disorders, Eating disorders in children, Childhood eating disorders

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Body image among men and women in a biracial cohort: the CARDIA study

Article Abstract:

Body image concerns, which are of use in understanding obesity and eating disorders, are examined in Black and White young adults by means of interviewer-administered questionnaires. The findings show that ethnicity affects investments in appearance. These, in turn, reflect attitudes on different aspects of body image. For example, Blacks invested more in their looks than Whites and were more satisfied. Black and White Women had greater dissatisfaction than the men, even though there was greater investment in appearance.

Case studies, African Americans, Whites, Ethnicity

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