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Related Experiment Videos

Body size categorization in anorexia nervosa using a morphing instrument.

M A Smeets1

  • 1Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.

The International Journal of Eating Disorders
|April 15, 1999
PubMed
Summary

Females with anorexia nervosa (AN) perceive body sizes more harshly than controls, judging both their own and others' bodies as smaller. The morphing technique proved effective for assessing body image perception in AN.

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Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Eating Disorders
  • Body Image Research

Background:

  • Body image disturbances are a core feature of anorexia nervosa (AN).
  • Accurate assessment of body image perception is crucial for understanding and treating AN.
  • Existing methods may not fully capture the nuances of body size categorization in AN.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the feasibility of using "morphing" technology for body image assessment.
  • To investigate if females with AN categorize female body sizes differently compared to controls.
  • To explore self-perception versus other-perception of body size in females with AN.

Main Methods:

  • A morphing movie depicting a gradual transition from thin to obese female body sizes was utilized.
  • Participants, including females with AN and healthy controls, identified size transitions for categories: thin, normal, fat, obese.

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  • Participants viewed the morphing movie from two perspectives: "Self" (as themselves) and "Other" (as another person).

    • Main Results:

    • Females with AN selected significantly lower body size transitions across categories compared to controls, particularly under the "Self" condition.
    • The AN group also perceived other women's body sizes as smaller, selecting lower settings for most categories (except obese).
    • These findings suggest a generalized harsher body size judgment in females with AN, extending to perceptions of others.

    Conclusions:

    • The morphing technique is a feasible, realistic, detailed, and sensitive tool for body image assessment in eating disorder research.
    • Females with anorexia nervosa exhibit a distorted body image perception, judging both their own and others' body sizes more critically.
    • The study highlights the pervasive nature of body dissatisfaction in AN, impacting self-perception and social comparison.