Body Dysmorphic Disorder and Eating Disorders

Author(s):  
Danyale McCurdy-McKinnon ◽  
Jamie D. Feusner

This chapter addresses the comorbid presentation of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) and disordered eating. BDD affects approximately 2% of the population and involves perceived defects of appearance along with obsessive preoccupation and repetitive, compulsive-like behaviors. The prevalence of comorbid BDD and eating disorders is high: Approximately one–third of those with BDD will have a comorbid eating disorder, and almost half of those with an eating disorder will have comorbid BDD. There are complicating diagnostic and treatment factors that arise when an individual experiences both. A core feature of these disorders is body image concern, which may be explained by both shared and unique aberrancies in visual and visuospatial processing that have neurobiological underpinnings. Understanding shared and unique pathophysiology may help inform and guide treatment, as well as open up lines of future research into their etiology.

Author(s):  
Hafrún Kristjánsdóttir ◽  
Petra Sigurðardóttir ◽  
Sigurlaug Jónsdóttir ◽  
Guðlaug Þorsteinsdóttir ◽  
Jose Saavedra

The aim of this study was to analyse body image concerns and symptoms of eating disorders in elite Icelandic athletes according to their sex, and sport practiced. The participants were 755 athletes (24.8 ± 3.5 years in age) who compete at the highest possible level in Iceland. Representing 20 different sports, they were divided into five sports groups. Three questionnaires were used: the Body Shape Questionnaire to assess body image concerns; the Bulimia Test-Revised to assess the main symptoms of bulimia; and the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire to identify disordered eating attitudes and behaviours. A chi-squared test was used to analyse differences in prevalence of body image concern and eating disorders, a t-test for the differences between men and women, and a one-way ANOVA to compare the different sports. The main findings were that 17.9% of the athletes presented severe or moderate body image dissatisfaction, and 18.2% (25.3% of the women) were above the clinical cutoff for body image concern. Women’s scores were higher than men’s (whole sample and ball games) in all variables except restraint. These results seem to point to the existence of a real problem that athlete, coaches, doctors, and institutions need to take into account.


2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 21
Author(s):  
Olivia Stumpf

Background: Mindfulness can be defined as "consciously bringing awareness to the present moment by focusing non-judgmentally on cognitions, emotions, and physical sensations" (Kabat-Zinn, 1994). This technique is applicable to patients with disordered eating, body image issues, or eating disorders (EDs) because these individuals have a tendency to become detached from their emotions and use the over or under consumption of food to regulate their internal state (Corstorphine, 2006). Mindfulness techniques are used to create a connection between thoughts, feelings and physical sensations, and external experiences. Practicing mindful eating is one way undergraduate students can be attentive to hunger cues and ensure balanced nutrition amidst a full academic schedule.Aim: The aim of the study was to develop and evaluate a mindfulness-based group approach to managing eating disorders in college students with disordered eating or body image issues.Methods: Undergraduate students ages 18 to 22 years old who were already receiving treatment for ED symptomatology from a university Counseling & Psychological Services Center were recruited to participate in a six-week mindfulness-based group approach to eating awareness. Results from the progress of two participants’ process observations are shared.Results: Increases were seen in participants’ confidence in using mindfulness-based practices to foster a sense of acceptance, nurturance, and adaptive behaviors.Conclusions: A mindfulness-based group approach to treatment of disordered eating or body image issues shows promise for improving the quality of life for college-aged students. Undergraduate institutions have the advantage of using social interaction to facilitate healthy behavioral change. Future research with larger and more diverse samples is suggested, and implications regarding practice and education are also discussed.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Courtney McLean ◽  
Ranjani Utpala ◽  
Gemma Sharp

Objective: The unique constraints to everyday life brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic have been shown to negatively impact those with pre-existing mental health issues such as eating disorders. While individuals with eating disorders or disordered eating behaviours represent a vulnerable group to COVID-19 pandemic, the impact of the pandemic is yet to be fully established. As such, we systematically examined the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on eating disorders and disordered eating behaviours. Method: We searched electronic databases MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and EMBASE for literature published until October 2021. Eligible studies were required to report on individuals with or without a diagnosed eating disorder or disordered eating behaviours who were exposed to the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: Seventy-two studies met eligibility criteria with the majority supporting an increase in eating disorder or disordered eating behaviours associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, children and adolescents and individuals with a diagnosed eating disorder present a vulnerable group to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Discussion: This systematic review provides a timely insight into COVID-19 eating disorder literature and will assist in understanding possible future long-term impacts of the pandemic on eating disorders behaviours. It appears that the role of stress in the development and maintenance of eating disorders was intensified as a means to cope with the uncertainty of the pandemic. Future research is needed among understudied and minority groups and to examine the long-term implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on eating disorders and disordered eating behaviours.


2021 ◽  
pp. 135910532098831
Author(s):  
Zoe Brown ◽  
Marika Tiggemann

Celebrities are well-known individuals who receive extensive public and media attention. There is an increasing body of research on the effect of celebrities on body dissatisfaction and disordered eating. Yet, there has been no synthesis of the research findings. A systematic search for research articles on celebrities and body image or eating disorders resulted in 36 studies meeting inclusion criteria. Overall, the qualitative, correlational, big data, and experimental methodologies used in these studies demonstrated that exposure to celebrity images, appearance comparison, and celebrity worship are associated with maladaptive consequences for individuals’ body image.


1993 ◽  
Vol 38 (7) ◽  
pp. 469-471 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clifford W. Sharp

A woman aged 58 who has been blind since the age of nine months presented with major depression and a 40 year history of an eating disorder characterized by a restriction of food intake and body disparagement. The case is additional evidence that a specifically visual body image is not essential for the development of anorexia nervosa and supports the view that the concept of body image is unnecessary and unproductive in eating disorders. Greater emphasis should be placed on attitudes and feelings toward the body, and the possibility of an eating disorder should be considered in cases of older women with an atypical presentation.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gennaro Catone ◽  
Filomena Salerno ◽  
Giulia Muzzo ◽  
Valentina Lanzara ◽  
Antonella Gritti

Abstract Background: psychiatric comorbidities are of particular interest in Eating disorders. The association between anorexia nervosa and psychotic disorders is less studied than that with affective disorders (anxiety/depression). The aim of this study is to describe a psychotic symptom (paranoia) in adolescents with Eating Disorders looking at several potential explicative associated factors: eating disorder symptoms, body image concerns, depression and social anxiety. Our hypothesis is that paranoia in AN patients is more explained by the concomitant depression and social anxiety symptoms than core symptoms of the disease (eating disorder symptoms or body image concerns). Methods: this is a retrospective cross sectional study and consecutive, help-seeking adolescents admitted to the Eating Disorder service of the Integrated Pediatric Care Department, Luigi Vanvitelli University Hospital constituted the sample. Data was obtained trough retrospective collection of clinical interviews and self – report questionnaires administered by trained and expert child and adolescent psychiatrists. Results: We obtained data from 92 adolescents with Eating Disorders. Paranoia was dimensionally distributed in the sample (mean: 22,17 SD: 17,7; median 18 IQR: 7/36; range: 0-62). Our regression model explained that paranoia in this population was better explained by depression (coefficient= 0,415 SD: 0,210, p=0,052) and social anxiety symptoms (coefficient= 0,253 SD: 0,060; p<0,001) than eating disorder symptoms (coefficient= 0,092 SD: 0,107; p=0,398) and body image concerns (coefficient= 1,916 SD: 2,079; p=0,359) that did not retain their significance when all our predictive factors entered in the model. Conclusion: This study has some theoretical, clinical and treatment implications. It is important to carrying out screening for the presence of psychotic symptoms in patients with Eating Disorders. These symptoms and associated factors (depression and social anxiety) may complicate the clinical picture of the disease with the need, in certain cases, of psychopharmacological drugs and, among these, anti-psychotics. Finally in the psychotherapy context, paranoid idea may be subject of treatment for patient with EDs.


1995 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 317-334 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katharine A. Phillips ◽  
Jennie M. Kim ◽  
James I. Hudson

2000 ◽  
Vol 15 (5) ◽  
pp. 302-305 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Rabe-Jablonska Jolanta ◽  
M. Sobow Tomasz

SummaryThe aim of the study was to search for a body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) period preceding the symptoms meeting the criteria of either anorexia or bulimia nervosa, and an evaluation of the prevalence of BDD symptoms in a control group of girls without any eating disorder. Ninety-three girls (12–21 years old) were included in the study (36 with anorexia nervosa, 17 with bulimia nervosa and 40 healthy controls). The Structured Clinical Interview (SCID), including the BDD module, and a novel questionnaire (for the presence of preceding life events) were used. We found the symptoms of BDD in 25% of anorexia nervosa sufferers for at least six months before observing a clear eating disorder picture. Moreover, other mental disorders were also present among these patients. The results may support the idea that BDD and anorexia nervosa both belong to either OCD or affective disorders spectra.


2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (10) ◽  
pp. 1546-1560
Author(s):  
Emily C. Wacker ◽  
Megan L. Dolbin-MacNab

Despite knowledge that the larger sociocultural context contributes to the development of eating disorders, few studies have examined protective factors for women with subthreshold eating disorders. Using feminist-informed constructivist grounded theory methodology, 15 women (ages 18–25 years) with subthreshold eating disorders were interviewed. Results suggest that participants spoke of their subthreshold eating disorders in an externalized way and used protective factors to guide decision making toward their preferred values. A grounded theory model was developed to illustrate this process. Protective factors included (a) people who provide emotional and tangible support, (b) support people who challenge the eating disorder, (c) personal sense of agency, and (d) community activism and involvement. Participants experiencing subthreshold eating disorders demonstrated a capacity to distinguish their own thoughts and values from those of the “eating disorder voice,” and protective factors facilitated this process. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.


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