Am J Psychiatry 1991; 148:211-215
Copyright © 1991 by American Psychiatric Association
Disturbed body image in patients with eating disorders
RL Horne, JC Van Vactor and S Emerson
Montevista Hospital, University of Nevada School of Medicine, Las Vegas.
OBJECTIVE: The authors attempt to answer the question of whether patients
with eating disorders experience more distortions in body image than do
individuals without eating disorders. METHOD: The study group was composed
of 214 women out of 230 patients consecutively admitted to an inpatient
eating disorders program. Twelve men and four patients with atypical eating
disorders were excluded from study. The 214 patients were divided into
three groups: 87 with anorexia nervosa alone, 72 with anorexia and bulimia
nervosa, and 55 with bulimia nervosa alone. The comparison group was
composed of 61 women drawn from 125 consecutive participants in a survey of
university students. Fifty- six men were dropped from the comparison group,
along with eight women who fulfilled diagnostic criteria for eating
disorders. Each subject used a three-dimensional measure to rate her body
size and stated her desired body size at seven points: left biceps, left
calf, left thigh, waist, abdomen, hips, and bust. The subjects'
measurements at each of these points were taken. Distortion in body image
was calculated as the subject's perceived body size divided by her actual
body size. All subjects were also given a battery of tests of intelligence,
skill, and memory. RESULTS: All three patient groups differed significantly
from the comparison group in distortions in body image. Most but not all
patients with eating disorders had distortions in their body image.
CONCLUSIONS: If replicated, these findings would suggest that the
diagnostic criteria regarding disturbance of body image for both anorexia
and bulimia need to be revised.
