Chapter 8 Body Image Copyright 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 mentalrepresentation that a person has of hisor her own body, including perceptions,attitudes, thoughts, and emotions Culture has a strong influence on bodyimage The advertising industry and the mediaare relentless in selling the Americanconsumer an image of the ideal body Copyright 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved.No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education. 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 womens 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 Copyright 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved.No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education. Women and Body Image Belief in the thin ideal and body dissatisfaction can lead to dieting This combination increases the risk fordisordered 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 Copyright 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved.No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education. 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 Copyright 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved.No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education. 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 thanweight-oriented Copyright 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved.No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education. 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 Copyright 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved.No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education. Ethnicity and Body Image
Body satisfaction is also affected by ones 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 Copyright 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved.No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education. 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 Copyright 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved.No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education. 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 Copyright 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved.No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education. 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 ascomfort, love, belonging, fun, and control Copyright 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved.No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education. 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 Copyright 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved.No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education. Eating Disorder Continuum
Copyright 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved.No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education. 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 Copyright 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved.No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education. 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 ones body weight or shape is experienced, undue influence of body weight on self-evaluation, or denial of the seriousness of low body weight Copyright 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved.No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education. Health Effects of Anorexia
Copyright 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved.No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education. Diagnosing Eating Disorders
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 Copyright 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved.No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education. Diagnosing Eating Disorders
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 Copyright 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved.No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education. Health Effects of Bulimia
Copyright 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved.No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education. Diagnosing Eating Disorders
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 Copyright 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved.No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education. Diagnosing Eating Disorders
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 Copyright 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved.No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education. 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 Copyright 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved.No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education. 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 Copyright 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved.No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education. 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 Copyright 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved.No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education. 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 Copyright 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved.No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education. 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 tattoo Copyright 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved.No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education. Female Athlete Triad A set of three interrelated conditions:
Disordered eating patterns, often accompanied byexcessive exercising Amenorrhea: cessation of menstruation Premature osteoporosis: reduced bone density Excessive exercise to lose weight or attain alean body appearance to fit a specificathletic image or improve performance Female athletes need to understand theimportance of good eating habits andmoderation in exercise Copyright 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved.No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education. Activity Disorder Excessive or addictive exercising,undertaken to address psychological needsrather than to improve fitness People continue to exercise strenuouslyeven when the activity causes illness, injury,or the breakdown of relationships Used to gain a sense of control andaccomplishment, to maintain self-esteem,and to soothe emotions rather than toincrease fitness, relaxation, or pleasure Copyright 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved.No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education. 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 Copyright 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved.No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education. Promoting Healthy Eating and Body Image
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 Copyright 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved.No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education. Promoting Healthy Eating and Body Image
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 Copyright 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved.No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.