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At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources

Distortion of body image among elite female dancers.

To examine body image and possible distortion of body image among elite female dancers 10 members of a professional ballet company rated both current and ideal body shape. In addition, an objective measure of body composition was obtained via skinfold techniques. t tests indicated that the mean rating for current body image was significantly higher than the rating for ideal, despite the fact that body-composition measures for all subjects were in an "ideal" range according to normative standards. Analysis indicated a high distortion of body image among these dancers and support psychophysiological concerns previously raised.

Adipose Tissue↗

Ethnicity and body image: quantitative and qualitative analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Cultural diversity in body image has been studied elsewhere. In this study, we extend previous research by inclusion of (1) multiple ethnic groups for comparison and (2) measures for the assessment of multiple dimensions of body image. METHOD: Participants were college students who self-identified as African, Asian, Caucasian, or Hispanic-American. Quantitative measures of weight-related body image and general appearance body image were included. General body image was also assessed qualitatively. RESULTS: Caucasian and Hispanic-Americans showed more weight-related body image disturbance than African-Americans and Asian-Americans. African-Americans had the most positive general appearance body image. Ethnic groups were generally similar in their ideal body image traits but some differences occurred for the valuing of skin color and breast size. DISCUSSION: This study highlights the importance of studying multiple ethnic groups with multiple measures, rather than simply comparing non-Caucasians to Caucasians on weight-related body image.

Adult↗

Are there differences in the attitudinal body image between adolescent anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa?

OBJECTIVE: Body image dissatisfaction is as well a risk factor for eating disorders (ED) and a central feature of ED. The exact nature of body image in adolescent ED is still debated. This study examined attitudinal body image in adolescent anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN), and the association of age, maturational timing, duration of eating disorder, actual weight and general psychological distress with the attitudinal body image in ED. METHODS: The study group consisted of an outpatient clinical sample of adolescents attending for assessment because of eating disorders. The attitudinal body image of 57 adolescents (girls) aged 14-21 years was studied at the beginning of the treatment. The attitudes to body shape, body size, appearance, tone and femininity were studied by a Likert format scale and by the body dissatisfaction (BD) and drive for thinness scales (DT) from EDI-2 inventory. RESULTS: Bulimics reported more body image dissatisfaction than anorectics. In multivariate analyses BN and higher general psychological distress had strong associations with body image dissatisfaction. Longer duration of ED and earlier menarche were also associated with negative body image. DISCUSSION: Attitudinal body image differs between adolescent AN and BN. The psychological distress has a great impact on body image in ED, which should be taken into account in assessment and in treatment interventions.

Adolescent↗

Body image and comprehension of body part names.

The relation between awareness of body topology and auditory comprehension of body part names was studied in 22 aphasic subjects. Two nonverbal tasks--human figure drawing and placement of individual body parts in relation to a drawn face--were compared with two auditory tests of body part comprehension. The two nonverbal and the two verbal tasks were closely correlated with each other, but there was no relation involving either of the verbal tests with either of the nonverbal tests. Selection errors in the auditory comprehension tasks were predominantly semantically based and equally distributed between functionally analogous parts and parts related by location on the body.

Aged↗

Body image distortion reveals amygdala activation in patients with anorexia nervosa -- a functional magnetic resonance imaging study.

In anorexia nervosa patients, body image distortion is a core and often persistent symptom, which continues to pose a risk for relapse even after weight recovery. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in combination with a computer-based life image distortion technique, we stimulated female anorectic patients and healthy controls with digital pictures of their own body image, individually distorted by themselves. In anorectic patients, stimulation with their own body image was associated with activation in the right amygdala, the right gyrus fusiformis and the brainstem region. Our preliminary findings indicate an activation of the brain's 'fear network' and underscore the need for examination of body image distortions in anorectic patients with a fMRI design to further evaluate the course of this disturbance in a longitudinal approach.

Adolescent↗

Does Barbie make girls want to be thin? The effect of experimental exposure to images of dolls on the body image of 5- to 8-year-old girls.

The ubiquitous Barbie doll was examined in the present study as a possible cause for young girls' body dissatisfaction. A total of 162 girls, from age 5 to age 8, were exposed to images of either Barbie dolls, Emme dolls (U.S. size 16), or no dolls (baseline control) and then completed assessments of body image. Girls exposed to Barbie reported lower body esteem and greater desire for a thinner body shape than girls in the other exposure conditions. However, this immediate negative impact of Barbie doll was no longer evident in the oldest girls. These findings imply that, even if dolls cease to function as aspirational role models for older girls, early exposure to dolls epitomizing an unrealistically thin body ideal may damage girls' body image, which would contribute to an increased risk of disordered eating and weight cycling.

Body Image↗

Body image in the person with a stoma.

Body image is the mental picture one has of one's physical being that develops from birth and continues throughout life and is related to different factors affecting its formation and dynamics. A crisis such as the creation of a stoma leads to an alteration in body image and an awareness of the meaning of the change in appearance and function of an individual. The individual's behavior is examined in several domains: physical, mental, emotional, social, sexual, and economical. When one domain is disturbed the others will be influenced. A person's rehabilitation after ostomy surgery is a continuous process of adaptation and is directed toward returning to a normal way of life. Many factors affect this adaptation to an alteration in body image and are relevant to the patient and family. These factors include, but are not limited to, the disease process, treatment(s), and medical and nursing care in the hospital and community. Knowledge about actual and potential problems associated with an alteration in body image enables the nurse to assess the meaning of the alteration in body image for the individual patient and family, provide counseling before and after the surgery, and intervene so that the individual will be able to adapt to an alteration in body image and return to one's previous activities of daily living and lifestyle.

Aged↗

Individual differences in male body-image: an examination of self-objectification in recreational body builders.

OBJECTIVES: Male bodybuilders have been found previously to have higher levels of disordered eating and body-image disturbance than do other men. This study investigated whether objectification theory (Fredrickson & Roberts, 1997) could be used to explain these observed differences in male body-image. DESIGN: A cross-sectional, self-report design was used. METHODS: Three samples of men were recruited: bodybuilders (N = 31), weightlifters (N = 17), and non-athletic controls (N = 35). Participants completed a questionnaire containing measures of self-objectification, self-surveillance, body shame, appearance anxiety, and four outcomes: body dissatisfaction, drive for muscularity, bulimia, and depression. RESULTS: As predicted, bodybuilders had significantly higher levels of self-objectification than weightlifters and controls, and higher levels of body dissatisfaction and drive for muscularity than controls. Overall, the relationships between self-objectification and the outcome variables, and self-surveillance and the outcome variables, were mediated by appearance anxiety. CONCLUSIONS: Bodybuilding is associated with outcomes that suggest it may not result in greater overall health for men. It was concluded that objectification theory provides a useful framework for examining body-image differences in men.

Adolescent↗

Body experience and mental representation of body image in patients with haematological malignancies and cancer as assessed with the Body Grid.

The domain of body image plays a central role in the quality of life of patients with haematological malignancies and metastasized cancer, since the disease itself as well as the enrolled therapies interfere with psychological and bodily well-being. We approached this highly subjective field by using the repertory grid technique and hypothesized that patients would display a restricted body image, focusing on functional aspects of the body. In all, 55 in-patients (27 men, 28 women, M age = 45.7 yrs, N = 46 with haematological malignancies, N = 9 with metastasized cancer), at the time of initial diagnosis, were included in the study and assessed with the Body Grid, an instrument specifically designed by us for the exploration of body image. The data were analysed by principal component analysis (PCA) and construct categorization. Further, 42 chronic tinnitus sufferers (20 male, 22 female, M age = 46.5 yrs) served as a comparison group. Based on the constructs elicited, six construct categories were formulated in the sense of a first attempt of a hierarchical model (emotion, control, activity, strength, function, appearance). The central constructs (373 construct pairs) were assigned to these categories by three inter-raters. The categories appeared in the following order of frequency: function (27.1%), emotion (20.4%), strength (20.1%), activity (15%), control (10.2%) and appearance (7.2%). PCA indicated that the patients mainly demonstrated a restricted view of their body. In the tinnitus group, the most frequent category proved to be activity (21.3%), closely followed by function (21.1%) and control (20.9%). The body image was also restricted (PCA). The restriction of body image, together with the specific construct choice, seen in the haematology and cancer patients reflects the existential threat of the disease and may serve as a coping strategy. The high percentage of emotional constructs may mirror the patients' need for further support. The distinct distribution of construct categories in the two different patient samples supports the applicability of the proposed preliminary model.

Adult↗

Body image, strategies to change muscles and weight, and puberty: do they impact on positive and negative affect among adolescent boys and girls?

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of strategies to both decrease weight and increase muscle tone on negative (depression, anxiety) and positive affect among adolescent males and females. The respondents were 1185 adolescents (587 males, 598 females) who were enrolled in grades 7 and 9 (mean age for males=13.22 years; mean age for females=13.21 years). Respondents completed the Body Image and Body Change Inventory that assessed body image satisfaction, body image importance, body change strategies to decrease weight, body change strategies to increase muscle tone, and food supplements. Respondents also completed the Pubertal Development Scale, the depression and anxiety scales of the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale, and the positive affect items from the Positive and Negative Affect Scale. Structural equation modelling was used to determine how body satisfaction and importance, body change strategies, and puberty impacted on depression, anxiety, and positive affect. The results demonstrated that for both boys and girls, there was a strong association between body change strategies and negative affect. For boys, body dissatisfaction did not predict negative affect, although this was a strong predictor for girls. Body change strategies did not strongly predict positive affect for either boys or girls, although body image satisfaction was a strong predictor for both genders. The implications of these findings for obtaining a better understanding of the role of pubertal development, body image, and body change strategies in predicting positive and negative affect among adolescent males and females are discussed.

Journal Article↗

The development and validation of the Body-Image Ideals Questionnaire.

The Body-Image Ideals Questionnaire (BIQ) was developed as a unique attitudinal body-image assessment that considers one's perceived discrepancy from and degree of investment in personal ideals on multiple physical attributes. Reliability and validity of the 20-item instrument were examined for a sample of 284 college women. The results indicated that the BIQ consists of two relatively distinct and internally consistent Discrepancy and Importance subscales, as well as their multiplicative composite. The subscales' respective convergent validities vis-à-vis extant body-image measures and specific facets of personality (i.e., public self-consciousness and perfectionism) and psychosocial adjustment (i.e., social anxiety, depression, and eating disturbance) were confirmed. Evidence also supported the incremental validity of multiple self-ideal discrepancies. Effects due to socially desirable responding were inconsequential. Directions for needed basic and clinical research were identified.

Journal Article↗

Multitrait-multimethod investigation of a novel body image measurement technique.

A multitrait-multimethod (MTMM) matrix was used to evaluate validity evidence for a digital image manipulation (DIM) body image measurement technique in young women. One hundred one young women completed the DIM procedure and the Thompson and Gray (1995) Contour Drawing Rating Scale to measure self-ideal discrepancy and size perception accuracy components of body image. Seven-day test-retest reliability was acceptable (R = .81-.95). Convergent validity for self-ideal discrepancy was higher (r = .74) than the corresponding heterotrait, monomethod coefficients (r = .46, r = .23) and heterotrait-heteromethod coefficients (r = .18, r = .12). However, the convergent validity coefficient for size perception accuracy was r = .12. The pattern of correlations in the MTMM matrix met the criteria of Campbell and Fiske (1959) for validity of these procedures to measure self-ideal discrepancy but not size perception accuracy. The DIM procedure addresses some of the criticisms associated with figure-rating scales, such as unrepresentativeness of the figures, scale coarseness, and restriction of range in responses. DIM, therefore, represents a realistic, valid alternative to figure-rating scales for measuring self-ideal discrepancy.

Adolescent↗

Relationship among body image, sex, and popularity of high school students.

Body dissatisfaction and attempts to lose weight are increasingly common among adolescents. Research has identified a number of factors significantly associated with body image, including sex, media, parental relationship, and puberty as well as weight and popularity. It was hypothesized that popular adolescents would have greater body dissatisfaction, more body distortion, and lower body esteem. From a rural high school 116 10th and 12th grade students were surveyed. Two teachers from the school also completed a Body Image Figure scale for each student. Subjects rated each grade member on a 5-point Likert-type scale, indicating how much they liked the classmate. A Social Preference rating (Popularity) was calculated for each subject from these ratings. Each subject also completed a Body Image Figure scale and Body Esteem scale. Body distortion was calculated by comparing the teachers' and a student's responses. Significant sex differences were found for scores on body satisfaction, distortion, and esteem, but none for popularity with distortion and body esteem. A relationship between popularity and body satisfaction was found, with the most popular adolescents reporting the least discrepancy between their ideal body image and their current body image. Popular adolescents are most satisfied with their body type.

Adolescent↗

Associations between body weight, psychiatric disorders and body image in female adolescents.

OBJECTIVES: The study explored associations between body weight, psychiatric disorders and body image in a nonclinical sample of female adolescents. It was also investigated whether complaints of negative body image could be an indicator of psychiatric morbidity. METHODS: A sample of 136 Swiss female high school students, 15-20 years of age, initially had weight, height and body image (FBeK questionnaire) assessed and were screened for psychiatric morbidity (SSQ). Subsequently, they were assessed using the DIA-X psychiatric interview which generates DSM-IV diagnoses. Univariate, multivariate, regressive and canonical correlation analyses were performed. RESULTS: Being overweight was significantly correlated with a more negative body image (attractiveness/self-confidence). There were also significant correlations between psychiatric diagnoses and unfavorable body image (3 of the 4 FBeK scales). Besides having a more disturbed body image, overweight subjects also evidenced more psychiatric morbidity. The multiple regression analysis revealed that psychiatric disorders had the greatest association with negative body image, followed by age and weight. The canonical correlation indicated that body image, psychiatric disorder, age and weight clearly correlated with one another (R(xy) = 0.43). CONCLUSION: Psychosomatic research should be more concerned about issues of obesity and concurrent psychiatric morbidity and aim to develop preventative as well as therapeutic treatment methods. Physicians should be aware of the associations between obesity, negative body image and psychiatric morbidity.

Adolescent↗

Light on body image treatment: acceptance through mindfulness.

The treatment of body image has to be multifaceted and should be directed toward the treatment of the whole individual-body, mind, and spirit-with an ultimate culmination of acceptance and compassion for the self. This article presents information on a mindful approach to the treatment of body image as it pertains to concerns with body size and shape. This approach fosters the idea that the treatment process should be one of observation, nonjudgment, neutrality, and acceptance. To this end, this article will depict the conceptualization of body image treatment from a mindful perspective, in which mindfulness serves as the foundation on which the multiple facets of treatment are built. The core components of body image treatment (i.e., cognitive, perceptual, behavioral, and emotional), in the context of mindfulness, are discussed as they relate to the treatment of body image disturbance. This article may be viewed as a theoretical overview of a new treatment concept for body image disturbance.

Affect↗

Nuclear magnetic resonance and computed tomography: comparison of normal human body images.

Normal human body images of the thorax and abdomen were obtained using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and computed tomography. Correlation of the images allowed precise anatomic identification of organs and structures. Differences between the images appear to be significant. NMR has potential as a methodology for assessing and imaging nuclear composition. Certain clinical implications from this technique are discussed.

Humans↗

Body image issues for children and adolescents with burns.

Body image is a far-reaching, multidimensional, dynamic concept. Because burn injuries threaten the integrity of both the physical and psychologic identity, body-image issues related to burn injuries appear to be a meaningful area of investigation. Little research has been done to directly assess body-image issues for children and adolescents with burns. We reviewed the general findings that body-image adaptation occurs and is influenced by gender, social support, burn severity, overall adjustment, and developmental stage. It is suggested that body-image revision, if it occurs, is largely successful, but body-image issues may not be directly related to psychosocial adjustment after a burn injury.

Adaptation, Psychological↗