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PubMed2003

The effects of psychoeducation and self-monitoring in a cognitive-behavioral program for body-image improvement.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is an efficacious treatment for body-image difficulties and disorders. The current study evaluated two combined components of Cash's (1997) self-administered body-image CBT program--psychoeducation and self-monitoring. Twenty-five body-dissatisfied college students enrolled in the three-week program and were required to hand in homework weekly in brief meetings with the experimenter. From pre- to posttest, participants became significantly more satisfied with their appearance and reported less situational body-image dysphoria, less weight-related concern, and less investment in their appearance as a source of self-evaluation. Changes generalized to improved self-esteem, eating attitudes, and social anxiety. Better self-monitoring compliance predicted greater reductions in body-image dysphoria. The study's methodological limitations and clinical implications are considered, and mechanisms of change are discussed.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2005

Intense-personal celebrity worship and body image: evidence of a link among female adolescents.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present study was to examine the relationship between celebrity worship and body image within the theoretical perspective of intense para-social relationships with celebrities. DESIGN: Correlation and multiple regression analyses were used to examine the relationships between celebrity worship and body image. METHOD: Three samples, 229 (102 males and 127 females) adolescents, 183 (88 males and 95 females) full-time university undergraduate students, and 289 (126 males and 163 females) adults were administered an amended version of the Celebrity Attitude Scale, the Attention to Body Shape Scale, and the Body Shape Questionnaire-Revised. RESULTS: Significant relationships were found between attitudes toward celebrities and body image only among female adolescents. Multiple regression analyses suggested that Intense-personal celebrity worship accounted for unique variance in scores in body image. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that in female adolescents, there is an interaction between Intense-personal celebrity worship and body image between the ages of 14 and 16 years, and some tentative evidence has been found to suggest that this relationship disappears at the onset of adulthood, 17 to 20 years. Results are consistent with those authors who stress the importance of the formation of para-social relationships with media figures, and suggest that para-social relationships with celebrities perceived as having a good body shape may lead to a poor body image in female adolescents.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1979

Body image and the process of reconstructive surgery.

Newer craniofacial operative techniques produce rapid changes in objective appearance and permit the study of body-image change. In 21 patients with either Crouzon's disease or Alpert's syndrome, a four-factor model of body-image development was applied that emphasizes cognitive growth, perception of body stimuli, stimuli from the environment in the form of comparison, and the response from others. Before a child is of school age, he has substantially defined his body image, therefore corrective surgery must be considered earlier. Although surgical intervention may produce significant objective physical change, there is not a correspondingly rapid change in body image. Four phases in the modification of body image are (1) the decision to undergo surgery, (2) the operative experience, (3) the immediate postoperative period, and (4) the reintegration stage. Recognition of this phasic process will help integrate care of these patients.

Acrocephalosyndactylia↗

PubMed1993

Body image in chronic illness--a reconceptualization.

OBJECTIVE: Was to construct a classification system of the body image specifically relevant to patient experience of chronic physical disorder. METHOD: To review both previous writings on body image and also data on psychosocial factors relevant to a variety of chronic illnesses. From this were derived four component parts of body image: comfort, competence, appearance and predictability. These are discussed in general and disease-specific terms. RESULTS: Using this format, a classification system is offered. This is intended to be simple enough for routine clinical use and yet to offer some insight into body experience. An example is given. CONCLUSION: Separating out the aspects of body image relevant to physical illness provides a clinically useful classification system. Further work is needed to determine its applicability as a research tool.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Coping with illness and body image following different surgical techniques in breast cancer].

Coping and body image were studied in 80 patients with breast cancer. We compared three groups, who had undergone different operative strategies: temporary expander prothesis (n = 19), excisional biopsy (n = 20) and modified radical mastectomy (n = 40). Instruments were: the Herschbach coping questionnaire, the Strauss and Appelt body image questionnaire and a semi-structured interview. Patients after excisional biopsy showed significantly less illness-related stress than the other two groups, both in the number of all items named (p less than 0.02) and in the weighted total (p less than 0.05). Patients after modified mastectomy had chosen a different, "unfavourable" pattern of coping mechanisms than patients after expander prothesis or excisional biopsy: more resignation (p less than 0.05), less fighting and talking (p less than 0.05, respectively). In the body image questionnaire, no significant difference was found. However, in the semi-structured interview, patients after mastectomy mentioned more frequently that they avoided looking at the scar (p less than 0.05). These results underline the importance of preoperative counselling.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed1986

Adolescent attitudes toward body image and anorexic behavior.

This study explored the relationship between anorexic behavior and selected dimensions of body image. Anorexic behavior was assessed by two scales, the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT 26) (Garner, Olmstead, Bohr, & Garfinkel, 1982) and the Eating Disorders Inventory (EDI) (Garner, Olmstead, & Polivy, 1983). Predictor variables, selected dimensions of body image, physical attractiveness, self-esteem, and physical effectiveness, were measured by scales adapted by Lerner and Karabenick (1974) and Lerner, Orlos, and Knapp (1976). Multiple regression techniques were used to determine how much of the tendency toward anorexic behavior can be predicted by selected dimensions of body image. The major focus of the analysis was to explore the contributions of each of the dimensions of body image to predicting tendencies toward anorexic behavior in adolescents. The research sample consisted of 169 high school students, aged 15 to 18, who were enrolled in health, physical education, or psychology classes in the spring of 1983. Results indicated that the dimension of self-esteem was the major factor in the prediction of anorexic behaviors as measured by the Eating Disorders Inventory.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1996

Effect of mood and food cues on body image in women with bulimia and controls.

OBJECTIVE: The present study evaluated body image assessment and cue reactivity in women with bulimia and controls in response to neutral, mood, and food cues in isolation, and mood and food cues in combination. METHOD: Subjects were 7 women with bulimia nervosa and 8 control women. Food cues were individualized high-risk/favorite foods. Low mood was elicited using the Musical Mood Induction Procedure. Order of cue presentation was random across subjects. Body image and cue reactivity were assessed using a computer version of the silhouette method and self-report ratings, respectively. RESULTS: Women with bulimia consistently rated their current body as being larger and their body image satisfaction as being lower than control women. In addition, women with bulimia differentially rated their current body and a picture of a healthy weight woman as being larger following exposure to food and/or mood cues. Ratings of ideal body were differentially affected by mood cues for control women. Ratings of body satisfaction were not affected by cue presentation. Mere presentation of high-risk foods in the absence of eating was sufficient to elicit urges to binge in women with bulimia. DISCUSSION: Body size estimation is not only affected by enduring characteristics (i.e., bulimia nervosa), but also more transient factors such as short-term exposure to salient food and mood cues.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Concern about aspects of body image and adjustment to early stage breast cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Several authors have suggested that patients adjust more poorly to breast cancer if they are heavily invested in body image as a source of their sense of self-worth. This prospective study examined this possibility, looking at two aspects of concern about body image as predictors of several indices of adjustment over the first postoperative year. METHODS: At diagnosis (and again a year later) 66 women with early stage breast cancer reported how much they valued a) a sense of body integrity (or intactness) and b) a good physical appearance. The day before surgery, a week afterward, and at 3-month, 6-month, and 12-month follow ups, they reported on their mood. At presurgery and at follow ups they also rated their attractiveness and sexual desirability and reported on frequency of sexual interaction. At follow-ups they also indicated how much their illness and treatment were interfering with social and recreational activities. RESULTS: Initial investment in appearance was related to distress across the postsurgical year. In contrast, investment in appearance made women more resilient against deterioration in their perceptions of attractiveness. Concern about body integrity did not strongly predict emotional distress, but it related to adverse impact on social and recreational activities in the follow-up period, to deterioration in feelings of sexual desirability, and to feelings of alienation from the self (feeling "not like yourself anymore"). CONCLUSIONS: Body image is often thought of in terms of physical appearance, but there is also a body image pertaining to integrity, wholeness, and normal functioning. People who are greatly concerned about either aspect of their body image are vulnerable to poorer psychosocial adjustment when confronting treatment for breast cancer. The poorer adjustment takes a different form, however, depending on the nature of the patient's body-image concern.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed2001

Specific body image pathology in acute schizophrenia.

Despite a wide phenomenological interest in body image pathology in schizophrenia, there has been little systematic empirical research. This study aimed at establishing the specificity of body image pathology in patients with schizophrenia, its changes during acute treatment, and its association with other symptom factors. Cognitive (thoughts/beliefs regarding the body--body concept), affective (body satisfaction--body cathexis) and perceptual (body size estimation--body schema) facets of body image and psychopathology were assessed in in-patients with paranoid schizophrenia (N = 60), schizoaffective disorder (N = 19), depressive disorder (N = 40) and anxiety disorder (N = 28) at admission, and after 2 and 4 weeks of treatment. Body size perception was also assessed in a sample of healthy subjects (N = 44). Patients with paranoid schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder showed under-estimation of lower extremities at each time point. They expressed a higher degree of body concept disturbances at admission, but not at later stages. In a factor analysis, body perception and body concept loaded on distinct factors, which were separate from positive symptoms, negative symptoms, and anxiety. Patients with acute paranoid schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder seem to have a specific and consistent disturbance of body size perception, which might indicate a dysfunction of sensory information processing.

Acute Disease↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Body image dissatisfaction in male cosmetic surgery patients.

This study was the first empirical investigation of body image dissatisfaction in male cosmetic surgery patients. Thirty men completed two body image measures prior to their initial consultation. Results were compared to the norms for each of the measures and with a sample of 30 women seeking similar cosmetic procedures. Results indicated that patients did not demonstrate greater dissatisfaction with their overall appearance than men in a normative sample. However, when asked about the bodily feature they were considering for surgery, they reported significantly greater levels of dissatisfaction than the normative sample. As compared to male patients, female patients reported a greater investment in their physical appearance. Implications of these findings are discussed with respect to the nature of body image dissatisfaction and the relevance of body image in the psychology of male plastic surgery patients.

Adult↗

PubMed1995

Relationship of body image and creative dance movement.

Findings supporting the proposition that dance movement improves a person's body image have been contradictory. Previous work focussed on styles such as ballet, jazz, and modern dance but it is arguable that creative dance movement, with its less structured approach and absence of predetermined performance standards, will have a positive influence on body image. This study examine scores on the Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire of 112 women between 18 and 69 years who had been actively participating in creative dance movement courses for periods ranging from two weeks to 16.5 years. Subjects experienced in creative dance movement were more satisfied with their appearance, fitness, and body parts than subjects with less than five years of experience. Differences in evaluation of health were not clearly established. Given this analysis and the potential for wide-spread clinical use of creative dance movement with people having body-image disturbances, empirical research on the relationship between creative dance movement and body image is warranted.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Measuring men's response to an imagined negative body image.

To investigate response to an imagined negative body image, a sample of 29 men from an undergraduate university were given the Body Image Affect Scale of Campbell and Chow. Analysis showed more men, if they are experiencing a poor appearance, would try to cover up physical flaws and avoid approaching an individual in whom they were interested.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

Body image and exercise in people with and without acquired mobility disability.

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to determine whether differences existed in self-perceived body image between adults with and without Acquired Mobility Disability (AMD), and whether a relationship existed between exercise and self-perceived body image in adults with AMD. METHOD: Thirty adults with AMD were paired with 30 able-bodied controls and matched on gender, age, ethnicity and exercise level. Both groups completed the Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire (MBSRQ) which measures body image on 10 subscales related to appearance, fitness, health/illness, body-areas satisfaction and weight-related attitude. RESULTS: A 2 x 2 two-way ANOVA, with disability (AMD vs able-bodied) and exercise (active vs non-active) serving as the main factors, was used to examine group differences of each on the 10 subscales of the MBSRQ separately. Results indicated that there was a significant interaction between disability and exercise on Health Orientation [F(1, 56) = 22.46, p = 0.000]. Post-hoc analysis indicated that active able-bodied individuals scored higher on the health orientation subscale than the other three subgroups. No other comparisons on health orientation were significant. There was a significant main effect of disability on appearance orientation [F(1, 56) = 10.44, p = 0.002] and health evaluation [F(1, 56) = 10.48, p = 0.002], and a significant main effect of exercise on appearance evaluation [F(1, 56) = 10.75, p = 0.002] and fitness orientation [F(1, 56) = 40.96, p = 0.000]. The AMD group scored higher on appearance orientation than the able-bodied group, whereas the able-bodied group scored higher on health evaluation. The physically active group scored higher than the non-active group on appearance evaluation and fitness orientation. CONCLUSIONS: The present study indicated that individuals with AMD rated their body image comparable to the able-bodied controls except in the attention paid to appearance and perceptions about physical health. When taking the effect size of the main effect of exercise into consideration, the members of the active mobility disability group appear to evaluate their physical appearance (appearance evaluation) and health (health evaluation) better, are more concerned with fitness (fitness orientation) and more satisfied with different body parts (body areas satisfaction) when compared to their non-active mobility disability counterparts. The potential role of exercise on improving body image in individuals with mobility disabilities should be systematically investigated.

Adult↗

PubMed1975

Measuring body image. Preliminary report on a new method.

A new, very simple and inexpensive METHOD FOR MEASUREING BODY IMage is described. A number of female patients with different somatic complaints were investigated. A specific patterning of body image related to the localization of somatic complaints is revealed. Anorexic and obese patients have an overall larger body image while the distortions in other conditions mostly go on the elevation in the vertical axis. Different aspects of this way of measuring body image are discussed, but the difference of the patterning is clear. This is a preliminary report on the new method.

Anorexia Nervosa↗

PubMed1998

Body images and obesity risk among black females: a review of the literature.

The prevalence of obesity among Black women has reached epidemic proportions. Some researchers have suggested that the body images of Black females may contribute to their high risk for obesity by inhibiting motivation for weight control. While a number of empirical studies have examined the body images of Black females, findings are complex and at times, inconsistent. For example, some studies show that Black females consider overweight bodies more attractive, while other studies show that Black females prefer normal-weight bodies. Divergent findings may be due, in part, to the multidimensional nature of body image. Inconsistencies may also be due to differences between the Black females sampled. Methodological problems, including the use of measures that have been validated among Black females, the use of various weight-for-height standards, and the inconsistent analyses of or lack of physiological data, also may contribute to conflicting results. This review addresses the complexity of body image findings among a heterogeneous Black female population and the relationship between their body images and obesity risk. Implications for effective obesity treatment programs and suggestions for improvements in future body image studies are also discussed.

Black or African American↗

PubMed2006

Societal influences on body image dissatisfaction in younger and older women.

Few studies have examined older women's body image. This study compared body image dissatisfaction (BID) and weight control practices; evaluated associations among BID, societal influences and concern for appropriateness (CFA); and identified the most important correlate of BID among younger (19-23) and older women (65-74). Questionnaires obtained information on demographics, weight control practices, societal influences (SATAQ-3), CFA and BID using the Figure Rating Scale. Findings revealed no difference in the prevalence of BID. The number of weight control practices and SATAQ-3 and CFA scores were correlated to BID. Pressure from the media was the most significant correlate of BID.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Obesity: locus of control, body image, weight loss, and age-at-onset.

In a retrospective investigation designed to measure locus of control, body image, and weight loss in Overeaters Anonymous members who had childhood, adolescence, or adulthood onset of obesity, 116 subjects were grouped according to age at onset of obesity and the year they joined OA. A convenience, volunteer sample of OA members completed a demographic data questionnaire, Rotter's Social Reaction. Inventory, and Secord and Jourard's Body Cathexis Scale. Significant overweight percentage differences were not found when the three age-at-onset groups were compared. Significant differences emerged, however, for adolescent-onset group persons who were categorized as "old" members; they had a larger weight loss and were more satisfied with their body image. A positive linear relationship between greater perception of internal control and a good body image was found in the entire adulthood-onset group. Weight loss and good body image of the oldest adolescent-onset group probably was the outcome of their association with a self-help group i.e., OA. Assessment of developmental issues related to the time of initial weight gain may indicate which treatment regime would be most effective.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

Racial/ethnic differences in body image and eating behaviors.

There is a growing literature on the relationship between race/ethnicity and body image and eating disorders, but the conclusions are still unclear. We therefore examined racial/ethnic influences on body image and eating behaviors in 108 Caucasian, 46 African American, and 40 Asian female undergraduates. Participants completed the Figure Rating Scale (FRS) and the Eating Habits Questionnaire (EHQ) to assess body image and eating pathology. Caucasians had greater body discrepancy (difference between current and ideal) than Asians (P=.05) and higher EHQ scores (P<.0001) than both Asians and African Americans. African Americans chose a larger ideal body size than the other groups (P=.005). However, Asian women had a significantly lower body mass index (BMI) than both groups (P<.0001). After controlling for BMI, ideal body size differences were minimized (P=.08). Also, now, both Caucasians and Asians had greater body discrepancy (P<.0001) and EHQ scores (P<.0001) than African Americans. Our findings help reconcile inconsistencies in the literature by demonstrating the impact of controlling for BMI when comparing body image and eating behaviors in individuals from different racial/ethnic backgrounds.

Journal Article↗