fw220 body image

Chapter 8Body Image

1Copyright © 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.

What Shapes Body Image?

• Body image is the mental representation that a person has of his or her own body, including perceptions, attitudes, thoughts, and emotions

• Culture has a strong influence on body image

• The advertising industry and the media are relentless in selling the American consumer an image of the ideal body


Women and Body Image• Our culture still tells women that their most

important job is to be beautiful– From infancy onward, girls are described as

“delicate,” “soft,” and “pretty”– Females are encouraged to define themselves in

terms of their bodies– The media places heavy emphasis on women’s

physical attributes rather than their abilities, performance, or accomplishments

– Since the 1950s, the imagined ideal female body is seen as thinner

– Women experience high levels of dissatisfaction with their bodies


Women and Body Image• Belief in the thin ideal and body

dissatisfaction can lead to dieting– This combination increases the risk for

disordered eating behaviors– Calorie restriction: a reduction in calorie intake

below daily needs– Purging: using self-induced vomiting, laxatives, or

diuretics to get rid of excess calories that have been consumed


Women and Body Image• Puberty has significant effects on body

image– Eating disorders are most likely to develop during

adolescence– Body fat increases in healthy girls from 12% to

25% during puberty, which causes many girls to become concerned about their bodies

– By sixth grade, twice as many girls as boys consider themselves fat, even though they are not overweight by objective standards


Men and Body Image• Male body image has been less affected by

cultural expectations and the media than female body image has– Historically, men have been judged by

achievement and strength more than looks– In the past, media and advertising have promoted

a masculine image that emphasizes power, action, performance, and choice

– Men are more satisfied with their body size and appearance compared to women

– Men are more shape-oriented rather than weight-oriented


Men and Body Image• As with women, the ideal male body shape

has become more unrealistic, distorted, and extreme– Muscle dysmorphia is a disorder in which one

perceives his body to be underdeveloped no matter how highly developed his muscles are

– About 10% of eating disorders are now diagnosed in men

– Eating disorders among men may have been underdiagnosed because these disorders have been considered a female problem


Ethnicity and Body Image• Body satisfaction is also affected by one’s

ethnicity or cultural group• Studies have reported conflicting results

– Some show that White, Black, Asian, and Hispanic women report similar concerns

– Other studies have shown that that Black women continue to report higher body satisfaction and higher self-esteem

• Among men, Blacks report more positive body image than Whites

• Native American men report slightly greater body image concerns than White men


Sports and Body Image• Sports may provide protection against

eating disorders by promoting performance rather than appearance

• High-level athletes often succeed because of their high expectations of themselves

• Athletes often learn to disregard signals from their bodies, including pain, during training

• The risk for eating disorders appears to be greatest for athletes competing at elite levels, such as college teams


Disordered Eating and Eating Disorders

• Disordered eating behaviors are common and widespread– Restrictive dieting, skipping meals, binge eating

and purging, laxative abuse, etc.– May occur in response to emotional stress, an

upcoming athletic event, concern about personal appearance, etc.

– Disordered eating behaviors may or may not develop into a full-blown eating disorder


Disordered Eating and Eating Disorders

• Eating disorders are conditions characterized by severely disturbed eating behaviors, distorted body image, and low self-esteem– Jeopardize physical and mental health– Occur primarily among people in Western

industrialized countries– Occur in all ethnic, cultural, and socioeconomic

groups– More prevalent when food is abundant and has

taken on symbolic meanings such as comfort, love, belonging, fun, and control


Contributing Factors• More than the simple exposure to the thin

ideal and social pressures– Family history of eating disorders, depression,

substance abuse, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, or obesity

– Gender • Females at greater risk than males• Gay and bisexual men at greater risk than

heterosexual males– A history of depression and anxiety


Eating Disorder Continuum


Contributing Factors• Certain characteristics or thought patterns

associated with eating disorders, including:– Low self-esteem– Self-critical attitude– Belief in the importance of thinness– Black-and-white thinking– Feelings of emptiness– Need for power and control– Difficulty expressing feelings– Lack of coping skills– Lack of trust in self or others– Perfectionism


Diagnosing Eating Disorders

• Anorexia nervosa: – Refusal to maintain minimally normal body weight – Intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat,

even though underweight– Disturbance in the way in which one’s body

weight or shape is experienced, undue influence of body weight on self-evaluation, or denial of the seriousness of low body weight


Health Effects of Anorexia



• Bulimia nervosa:– Marked by consuming large amounts of food,

then using inappropriate means (binging or excessive exercise) to rid themselves of the calories

– People with bulimia also have a distorted body image

– Binge eating and purging are behaviors that are usually socially isolating



• Criteria for bulimia nervosa:– Recurrent episodes of binge eating– Recurrent inappropriate compensatory behavior

to prevent weight gain• Self-induced vomiting• Misuse of laxatives, diuretics, enemas, or other

medications; fasting; or excessive exercise– Episodes occur, on average, at least twice a

week for three months– Self-evaluation is unduly influenced by body

shape and weight


Health Effects of Bulimia



• Binge-eating disorder: – This disorder involves binge-eating behaviors

without vomiting or purging– Individuals afflicted can be normal weight or

overweight, but if the disorder goes unrecognized, they often eventually become obese

– They have body weight and shape concerns, emotional distress, and disordered eating patterns similar to those of people with anorexia or bulimia



• Criteria for binge eating disorder:– Recurrent episodes of binge eating– The episodes are associated with:

• Eating much more rapidly than usual• Eating to the point of feeling uncomfortably full• Eating large amounts of food when not hungry• Eating alone because of being embarrassed by

how much one is eating• Feeling disgusted with oneself, depressed, or guilty

about overeating– Marked distress about binge eating– The binge eating occurs, on average, at least two

days a week for six months


Health Effects of Binge-Eating Disorder

• Health consequences are related primarily to obesity, including:– Cardiorespiratory disease– Diabetes– High blood pressure– Gallbladder disease– Osteoarthritis– Sleep apnea– Certain cancers


Treating Eating Disorders• Aside from osteoporosis, most of the

negative health conditions are reversible• Keys to recovery are:

– Early intervention– Lower incidence of purging behavior– Support and participation of family members and

loved ones– Lack of other diagnosed psychological problems


Treating Eating Disorders• First step toward treatment is to recognize

problem• Effective treatment involves a

multidisciplinary or multimodality team• Possible hospitalization• Once weight has been stabilized, the next

phase is behavioral modifications through:– Psychotherapy– Behavior relearning and modification– Nutritional rehabilitation and education – Medication


Body Dysmorphic Disorder

• A preoccupation with an imagined defect in appearance or excessive concern about a slight physical anomaly

• Preoccupation causes significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning

• Repetitive behaviors or mental acts in response to appearance concerns

• The preoccupation is not better accounted for by another mental disorder

• Preoccupation areas: – Males: genitals, muscle mass, and hair– Females: breasts, thighs, and legs


Body Dysmorphic Disorder

• Muscle dysmorphia: an obsession with muscle building; may be related to obsessive-compulsive disorder

• Some people with body dysmorphic disorder turn to cosmetic surgery to correct their supposed flaw in appearance– Not everyone who turns to cosmetic surgery has

this disorder– Cosmetic surgery can also have psychological

and physical benefits

• Body art: used to express oneself– About one in five is dissatisfied with his or her

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Female Athlete Triad• A set of three interrelated conditions:

– Disordered eating patterns, often accompanied by excessive exercising

– Amenorrhea: cessation of menstruation– Premature osteoporosis: reduced bone density

• Excessive exercise to lose weight or attain a lean body appearance to fit a specific athletic image or improve performance

• Female athletes need to understand the importance of good eating habits and moderation in exercise


Activity Disorder• Excessive or addictive exercising,

undertaken to address psychological needs rather than to improve fitness

• People continue to exercise strenuously even when the activity causes illness, injury, or the breakdown of relationships

• Used to gain a sense of control and accomplishment, to maintain self-esteem, and to soothe emotions rather than to increase fitness, relaxation, or pleasure


Promoting Healthy Eating and Body Image

• Individual attitudes– Value yourself based on your goals, talents, and

strengths rather than your body shape or weight– Look critically at the images and messages you

receive from people and the media



• College initiatives– Prevention efforts should include both individual

measures and campus-wide activities– Residence advisors, professors, coaches,

trainers, and other college staff can be trained to watch for problems

– Health and counseling services can be visible and accessible



• Public health approaches– Focus on raising awareness about eating

disorders and changing widely accepted social norms

– Develop organizations and programs to promote healthy body image and lifestyle patterns
