Abstract
Body image distortion is one core symptom of anorexia nervosa. However, little is known concerning its fluctuation over time. This paper pursues two objectives: (1) to assess body image distortion change during inpatient treatment of adolescent girls with restrictive anorexia nervosa (n=10), and (2) to identify associations between this change and the change observed to other measures of eating and weight-related disorders. A Quantification of Body Image Distortion computerized tool (Q-BID) and paper-and-pencil questionnaires were used at both beginning and end of inpatient treatment. Pearson correlations and linear regression analyses were conducted to identify associations between body image distortion change and the change observed to other measures of eating and weight-related disorders. The results indicate that all adolescents experienced a body image distortion change. This change corresponds to a body image distortion decrease for 70% of them. The body image distortion change measure was highly correlated with the change observed in the score to the Eating Attitude Test (EAT-26) and to the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDEQ-4) during the inpatient treatment. These two measures of change indeed explained 88.4% of the body image distortion change variance in the multivariate model. We concluded that the Q-BID is an interesting tool for the assessment of body image distortion change. More research is needed concerning the correlates of this outcome in order to elaborate appropriate interventions for both clinical and community settings.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Cash TF, Deagle EA. The nature and extent of bodyimage disturbances in anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa: A meta-analysis. Int J Eat Disord 1997; 22: 107–25.
Cuzzolaro M, Vetrone G, Marano G, et al. The body uneasiness test (BUT): Development and validation of a new body image assessment scale. J Eat Weight Disord 2006; 11: 1–13.
Keeton WP, Cash TF, Brown TA. Body image or body images? Comparative multidimensional assessment among college students. J Pers Assess 1990; 54: 213–30.
Ledoux M, Mongeau L, Rivard M. Poids et image corporelle. In: Enquête sociale et de santé auprès des enfants et des adolescents québécois 1999. Institut de la statistique du Québec, Québec Government, 2002.
Gardner RM, Boice R. A computer program for measuring body size distortion and body dissatisfaction. Behav Res Meth Instrum Comput 2004; 36: 89–95.
Roy M, Forest F. Assessment of body image distortion in eating and weight disorders: The validation of a computer-based tool (Q-BID). J Eat Weight Disord 2007; 12: 1–11.
Roy M, Gauvin L. Casting weight goal as a function of weight status among a representative populationbased sample of adolescents. Body Image 2009; 6: 277–84.
Roy M. A measurement of body image distortion for measuring health care treatments. Infoletter: The Evolution of Health-system Management and Evaluation Practices 2008; 5: 10–11.
Gardner RM. Assessing body image disturbance in children and adolescents. In: Thompson JK, Smolak L (Eds) Body image, eating disorders, and obesity in youths: Assessment, prevention, and treatment. Washington, DC, American Psychological Association, 2001, pp 341–66.
Roy M. Quantification de la distorsion de l’image corporelle chez des adolescentes atteintes d’anorexie mentale restrictive: évaluation informatique (Q-DIC) et applications cliniques. Master’s dissertation, Montreal, University of Montreal, 2005.
Bruch H. Perceptual and conceptual disturbances in anorexia nervosa. Psychosom Med 1962; 24: 187–94.
Benson PJ, Emery JL, Cohen-Tovee EM, et al. A computer- graphic technique for the study of body size perception and body types. Behav Res Meth Instrum Comput 1999; 31: 446–54.
Cash TF. Body image attitudes: Evaluation, investment and affect. Percept Mot Skills 1994; 78: 1168–70.
Garner DM, Garfinkel PE. The eating attitudes test: An index of the symptoms of anorexia nervosa. Psychol Med 1979; 9: 273–9.
Pope HG jr, Phillips KA, Olivardia R. The Adonis complex: The secret crisis of male body obsession. New York, Free Press, 2000.
Slade PD, Russell FM. Awareness of body dimension in anorexia nervosa: Cross-sectional and longitudinal studies. Psychol Med 1973; 3: 188–9.
Tovee MJ, Benson PJ, Emery JL, et al. Measurement of body-size and shape perception in eating disordered and control observer using body-shape software. Br J Psychol 2003; 94: 501–16.
Smolak L. Body image in children and adolescents: where do we go from here? Body Image 2004; 1: 15–28.
Stice E. Risk and maintenance factors for eating pathology: A meta-analytic review. Psychol Bull 2002; 128: 825–48.
Wichstrom L. The emergence of differences in depressed mood during adolescence: The role of intensified gender socialisation. Dev Psychol 1999; 35: 232–45.
Reboussin BA, Rejeski WJ, Martin KA, et al. Correlates of satisfaction with body function and body appearance in middle and older aged adults: The Activity Counselling Trail (ACT). Psychol Health 2000; 15: 239–54.
Fooken I. Sexuality in the later years: The impact of health and body-image in a sample of older women. Pat Educ Counsel 1994; 23: 227–33.
Friedman MA, Dixon AE, Brownell KD, et al. Marital status, marital satisfaction, and body image dissatisfaction. Int J Eat Disord 1999; 26: 81–5.
Hildebrandt T, Langenbucher J, Schlundt DG. Muscularity concerns among men: Development of attitudinal and perceptual measures. Body Image 2004; 1: 169–81.
Katz D. Competing dietary claims for weight loss: Finding the forest through truculent trees. Ann Rev Public Health 2005; 26: 61–88.
James DCS. Gender differences in body mass index and weight loss strategies among African Americans. J Am Diet Assoc 2003; 103: 1360–2.
Jeffery RW, French SA. Socioeconomic status and weight control practices among 20- to 45-year-old women. Am J Public Health 1996; 86: 1005–10.
Lowry R, Galuska DA, Fulton JE, et al. Weight management goals and practices among U.S. high school students: Associations with physical activity, diet, and smoking. J Adolesc Health 2002; 31: 133–44.
Neumark-Sztainer D, Paxton SJ, Hannan PJ, et al. Does body satisfaction matter? Five-year longitudinal associations between body satisfaction and health behaviors in adolescent females and males. J Adolesc Health 2006; 39: 244–51.
Neumark-Sztainer D, Story M, Hannan PJ, et al. Weight-related concerns and behaviors among overweight and non-overweight adolescents: Implications for preventing weight-related disorders. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2002; 156: 171–8.
Neumark-Sztainer D, Story M, Resnick MD, et al. Body dissatisfaction and unhealthy weight-control practices among adolescents with and without chronic illness: A population-based study. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 1995; 149: 1330–5.
Paxton SJ, Schulthorpe A, Gibbons K. Weight-loss strategies and beliefs in high and low socioeconomic areas of Melbourne. Aust J Public Health 1994; 18: 412–7.
Weiss EC, Galuska DA, Kettel-Khan L, et al. Weightcontrol practices among U.S. adults, 2001–2002. Am J Prev Med 2006; 31: 18–24.
Dugas M. Morphometric typology of female breast. Master’s dissertation. Montreal, University of Montreal, 2002.
Leichner P, Steiger H, Puentes-Neuman N, et al. Validation d’une échelle d’attitudes alimentaires auprès d’une population québécoise francophone. Can J Psychiatry 1994; 39: 49–54.
Fairburn C, Beglin SJ. The assessment of eating disorders: Interview or self-report questionnaire? Int J Eat Disord 1994; 16: 363–7.
Luce KH, Crowther JH. The reliability of the eating disorder examination-self-report questionnaire version (EDE-Q). Int J Eat Disord 1999; 25: 349–51.
Mond JM, Hay PJ, Rogers B, et al. Validity of the eating disorder examination questionnaire (EDE-Q) in screening for eating disorders in community samples. Behav Res Ther 2004; 42: 551–67.
Reed DL, Thompson JK, Brannick MT, et al. Development and validation of the physical appearance state and trait anxiety scale (PASTAS). J Anxiety Disord 1991; 5: 323–32.
Fernandez F, Dahme B, Meermann R. Body image in eating disorders and analysis of its relevance: A preliminary study. J Psychosom Res 1999; 47: 419–28.
Ben-Tovim DI, Whitehead J, Crisp AH. A controlled study of the perception of body width in anorexia nervosa. J Psychosom Res 1979; 23: 267–72.
Sanchez-Villegas A, Madrigal H, Martinez-Gonzalez MA, et al. Perception of body image as indicator of weight status in the European Union. J Hum Nutr Diet 2001; 14: 93–102.
Cash TF, Pruzinsky T. Integrative themes in body image development, deviance and change. In: Cash TF, Pruzinsky T (Eds) Body images: Development, deviance and change. New York, Guilford Press, 2001, pp 337–47.
Fernandez F, Probst M, Meermann R, et al. Body size estimation and body dissatisfaction in eating disorder patients and normal controls. Int J Eat Disord 1994; 16: 307–10.
Probst M, Vandereycken W, Van Coppennolle H. Body size estimation in eating disorders using video distortion on a life-size screen. Psychol Psychosom 1997; 66: 87–91.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Roy, M., Meilleur, D. Body image distortion change during inpatient treatment of adolescent girls with restrictive anorexia nervosa. Eat Weight Disord 15, e108–e115 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03325289
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03325289