Skip to main content
Log in

Body mass index and some psychopathological symptoms in open community nuns

  • Brief Report
  • Published:
Eating and Weight Disorders - Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This article examines the connections between body weight and psychopathological symptoms in a religious community. The Symptom Checklist 90-Revised was administered to 34 nuns, whose body mass index (BMI) values significantly correlated with hostility (r=0.46, p<0.01). These findings support the idea that people living in open religious communities share social values regarding weight and body size, and reveal high levels of psychological discomfort when body weight increases.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
$34.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

References

  1. Bell R.M.: Holy anorexia. Chicago, University of Chicago Press, 1985.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Lacey J.H.: Anorexia nervosa and a bearded female saint. Br. Med. J., 285,1816–1817, 1982.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Derogatis L.D.: The SCL-90-R. Baltimore, MD, Clinical Psychometric Research, 1975.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Huline-Dickens S.: Anorexia nervosa: some connections with the religious attitude. Br. J. Med. Psychol., 73, 67–76, 2000.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Rampling D.: Ascetic ideals and anorexia nervosa. J. Psychiatr. Res., 19, 89–94, 1985.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Banks C.G.: Culture in culture-bound syndromes: the case of anorexia nervosa. Soc. Sci. Med., 34, 867–884, 1992.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Banks C.G.: The imaginative use of religious symbols in subjective experiences of anorexia nervosa. Psychoanal. Rev., 84, 227–236, 1997.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Cash T.F., Winstead B.A., Janda L.H.: The great American shape-up: body image survey report. Psychol. Today, 20, 30–37, 1986.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Raphael F.J., Lacey J.H.: Sociocultural aspects of eating disorders. Ann. Med., 24, 293–296, 1992.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Sobal J.: Social influences on body weight. In: Brownell K.D., Fairburn C.G. (Eds.), Eating disorders and obesity. A comprehensive handbook, New York, The Guilford Press, 1995.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Bruch H.: Eating disorders. London, Routledge & Keegan, 1974.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Mills J.K.: A note on interpersonal sensitivity and psychotic symptomatology in obese adult outpatients with a history of chilhood obesity. J. Psychol., 129, 345–348, 1995.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Johnson C., Wonderlich S.: Personality characteristics as a risk factor in the development of eating disorders. In: Crowther J.H., Tennenbaum D.L., Hobfoll S.E., Stephens M.A.P. (eds.), The etiology of bulimia nervosa: the individual and familiar context. New York, Hemisphere Publishing Corporation, 1992.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Sohlberg S., Strober M.: Personality in anorexia nervosa: an update and a theoretical integration. Acta Psychiatr. Scand., 378 (suppl): 1–15, 1994.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Guisado J.A., Vaz F.J., Guisado J., Torres M.I., Peral D., Fernández-Gil M.A.: Conducta alimentaria en comunidades religiosas. Revista de Psiquiatría de la Facultad de Medicina de Barcelona 27, 388–390, 2000.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to J. A. Guisado Macías.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Guisado Macías, J.A., Vaz, F.J., Guisado, J. et al. Body mass index and some psychopathological symptoms in open community nuns. Eat Weight Disord 8, 178–180 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03325010

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03325010

Key words

Navigation