scholarly journals Dancing in a culture of disordered eating: A feminist poststructural analysis of body and body image among young girls in the world of dance

PLoS ONE ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. e0247651
Author(s):  
Nicole Doria ◽  
Matthew Numer
Keyword(s):  
Eating Disorders ◽  
Body Image ◽  
Adolescent Girls ◽  
The Body ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Negative Body Image ◽  
Young Girls ◽  
The World ◽  
Poststructural Analysis ◽  
The Ideal

Eating disorders among adolescent girls are a public health concern. Adolescent girls that participate in aesthetic sport, such as dance, are of particular concern as they experience the highest rates of clinical eating disorders. The purpose of this study is to explore the experiences of young girls in the world of competitive dance and examine how these experiences shape their relationship with the body; feminist poststructural discourse analysis was employed to critically explore this relationship. Interviews were conducted across Canada with twelve young girls in competitive dance (14–18 years of age) to better understand how the dominant discourses in the world of competitive dance constitute the beliefs, values and practices about body and body image. Environment, parents, coaches, and peers emerged as the largest influencers in shaping the young dancers’ relationship with their body. These influencers were found to generate and perpetuate body image discourses that reinforce the ideal dancer’s body and negative body image.

scholarly journals Traumatic influence of the attitude towards one’s own gender as a factor in the development of eating disorders

2021 ◽  
Vol 273 ◽  
pp. 10046
Author(s):  
Aleksandr Tsapenko
Keyword(s):  
Eating Disorders ◽  
Anorexia Nervosa ◽  
Statistical Method ◽  
Adolescent Girls ◽  
Psychological Trauma ◽  
The Body ◽  
Short Term ◽  
The Unconscious ◽  
The World ◽  
The Given

At present, the amount of people suffering from various types of eating disorders is steadily increasing all over the world. A large proportion is occupied by people with manifestations of anorexia. Primarily this disorder affects female representatives at the age of 13-20 years. Taking into account the severity of the consequences that anorexia leads to, cases of death are increasingly being recorded, including adolescents. That’s why the question of providing effective assistance to such patients is especially relevant. However, without establishing the true causes, the results achieved during the treatment may be only short-term. In this connection, the author made an attempt to look at the problem more deeply. Thus, the article is devoted to the consideration of the causes of anorexia of adolescent girls, lying in the field of the unconscious, in particular, in a deep psychological trauma received in childhood. According to the author, the reasons of this trauma are the perception as a humiliation of the manifestations of the brother’s admiration or friends’ son from the girl’s parents, as opposed to the lack of attention, warmth and care towards her. The arising misunderstanding of the reason for such a different attitude contributes to the formation of a girl’s confidence that it is better to be a boy and, as a result, an unwillingness to be a woman. This, in turn, leads to anorexic behavior, as anorexia can inhibit the transformation of the body into a woman. The given assessment was confirmed in a conducted study among 128 girls aged 13-18 years with various eating disorders, including 46 with manifestations of anorexia nervosa. The substantiation of the hypothesis put forward at the beginning of the study was checked by means of a statistical method - the Fisher-φ test.

scholarly journals Development of a Positive Body Image Chatbot (KIT) With Young People and Parents/Carers: Qualitative Focus Group Study

10.2196/27807 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (6) ◽  
pp. e27807
Author(s):  
Francesca Beilharz ◽  
Suku Sukunesan ◽  
Susan L Rossell ◽  
Jayashri Kulkarni ◽  
Gemma Sharp
Keyword(s):  
Eating Disorders ◽  
Body Image ◽  
Young People ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
The Body ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Content Structure ◽  
Agile Methodology ◽  
Qualitative Feedback ◽  
Structure And Design

Background Body image and eating disorders represent a significant public health concern; however, many affected individuals never access appropriate treatment. Conversational agents or chatbots reflect a unique opportunity to target those affected online by providing psychoeducation and coping skills, thus filling the gap in service provision. Objective A world-first body image chatbot called “KIT” was designed. The aim of this study was to assess preliminary acceptability and feasibility via the collection of qualitative feedback from young people and parents/carers regarding the content, structure, and design of the chatbot, in accordance with an agile methodology strategy. The chatbot was developed in collaboration with Australia’s national eating disorder support organization, the Butterfly Foundation. Methods A conversation decision tree was designed that offered psychoeducational information on body image and eating disorders, as well as evidence-based coping strategies. A version of KIT was built as a research prototype to deliver these conversations. Six focus groups were conducted using online semistructured interviews to seek feedback on the KIT prototype. This included four groups of people seeking help for themselves (n=17; age 13-18 years) and two groups of parents/carers (n=8; age 46-57 years). Participants provided feedback on the cartoon chatbot character design, as well as the content, structure, and design of the chatbot webchat. Results Thematic analyses identified the following three main themes from the six focus groups: (1) chatbot character and design, (2) content presentation, and (3) flow. Overall, the participants provided positive feedback regarding KIT, with both young people and parents/carers generally providing similar reflections. The participants approved of KIT’s character and engagement. Specific suggestions were made regarding the brevity and tone to increase KIT’s interactivity. Conclusions Focus groups provided overall positive qualitative feedback regarding the content, structure, and design of the body image chatbot. Incorporating the feedback of lived experience from both individuals and parents/carers allowed the refinement of KIT in the development phase as per an iterative agile methodology. Further research is required to evaluate KIT’s efficacy.

scholarly journals Development of a Positive Body Image Chatbot (KIT) With Young People and Parents/Carers: Qualitative Focus Group Study (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesca Beilharz ◽  
Suku Sukunesan ◽  
Susan L Rossell ◽  
Jayashri Kulkarni ◽  
Gemma Sharp
Keyword(s):  
Eating Disorders ◽  
Body Image ◽  
Young People ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
The Body ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Content Structure ◽  
Agile Methodology ◽  
Qualitative Feedback ◽  
Structure And Design

BACKGROUND Body image and eating disorders represent a significant public health concern; however, many affected individuals never access appropriate treatment. Conversational agents or chatbots reflect a unique opportunity to target those affected online by providing psychoeducation and coping skills, thus filling the gap in service provision. OBJECTIVE A world-first body image chatbot called “KIT” was designed. The aim of this study was to assess preliminary acceptability and feasibility via the collection of qualitative feedback from young people and parents/carers regarding the content, structure, and design of the chatbot, in accordance with an agile methodology strategy. The chatbot was developed in collaboration with Australia’s national eating disorder support organization, the Butterfly Foundation. METHODS A conversation decision tree was designed that offered psychoeducational information on body image and eating disorders, as well as evidence-based coping strategies. A version of KIT was built as a research prototype to deliver these conversations. Six focus groups were conducted using online semistructured interviews to seek feedback on the KIT prototype. This included four groups of people seeking help for themselves (n=17; age 13-18 years) and two groups of parents/carers (n=8; age 46-57 years). Participants provided feedback on the cartoon chatbot character design, as well as the content, structure, and design of the chatbot webchat. RESULTS Thematic analyses identified the following three main themes from the six focus groups: (1) chatbot character and design, (2) content presentation, and (3) flow. Overall, the participants provided positive feedback regarding KIT, with both young people and parents/carers generally providing similar reflections. The participants approved of KIT’s character and engagement. Specific suggestions were made regarding the brevity and tone to increase KIT’s interactivity. CONCLUSIONS Focus groups provided overall positive qualitative feedback regarding the content, structure, and design of the body image chatbot. Incorporating the feedback of lived experience from both individuals and parents/carers allowed the refinement of KIT in the development phase as per an iterative agile methodology. Further research is required to evaluate KIT’s efficacy.

Anorexia Nervosa and Depression in a Woman Blind since the Age of Nine Months

1993 ◽  
Vol 38 (7) ◽  
pp. 469-471 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clifford W. Sharp
Keyword(s):  
Eating Disorders ◽  
Body Image ◽  
Anorexia Nervosa ◽  
Eating Disorder ◽  
Major Depression ◽  
Food Intake ◽  
Older Women ◽  
The Body ◽  
Atypical Presentation ◽  
History Of

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.

scholarly journals Obesity, Body Image Dissatisfaction, and Sexual Dysfunction: A Narrative Review

Sexes ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-39
Author(s):  
Sean M. McNabney
Keyword(s):  
Body Image ◽  
Sexual Dysfunction ◽  
Sexual Function ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
Body Image Dissatisfaction ◽  
The United States ◽  
The Body ◽  
Narrative Review ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Clinical Samples

With approximately two-thirds of the United States adult population classified as overweight or obese, obesity remains a critical public health concern. Obesity not only contributes to several health complications including type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease, but the condition is also associated with sexual dysfunction in both women and men. Despite evidence linking obesity and its concomitant pathophysiology to sexual problems, the potential roles of psychosocial factors such as body image are understudied. This narrative review evaluates the research linkages between obesity and sexual dysfunction, with particular attention to the potential effects of body image dissatisfaction. A literature search of biomedical and psychological databases was used to identify research pertaining to obesity, sexual function, and/or body image constructs. The pathophysiological effects of obesity on sexual function are well-documented in mechanistic studies and animal trials, often with corroboration in human clinical samples. However, very few studies examine obesity, body image, and sexual function in tandem. Body image dissatisfaction appears to independently impinge upon the sexual response cycle and mental health outcomes, irrespective of body weight. While obesity is often associated with negative body image appraisal, it is unclear whether these constructs exert additive, synergistic, or antagonistic effects on sexual responsivity. Additionally, overweight/obese individuals who exhibit higher levels of body image satisfaction or self-confidence appear to be protected from the deleterious effects of obesity on sexual satisfaction, at least to some extent. Greater reliance upon conceptual/theoretical models from the body image literature may better clarify the relationships between these constructs.

Body image(s): Problematizing future physical education teachers’ beliefs about the body and physical activity through visual imagery

2021 ◽  
pp. 1356336X2110562
Author(s):  
Gustavo González-Calvo ◽  
Vanesa Gallego-Lema ◽  
Göran Gerdin ◽  
Daniel Bores-García
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Body Image ◽  
Physical Education ◽  
Gender Stereotypes ◽  
Great Influence ◽  
The Body ◽  
Physical Education Teachers ◽  
Visual Methods ◽  
Teachers Beliefs ◽  
The World

Visual culture affects the way people understand the world and themselves, contributing to the creation of certain roles and stereotypes, some of which are related to body image. This study focused on interrogating future physical education teachers’ beliefs about the body and physical activity to understand the construction of bodily subjectivities and their perceptions of how these are influenced by visual (physical) culture. Data were collected through the use of visual methods consisting of photo-elicitation and individual interviews with 23 students from a Primary Education Degree with a specialization in physical education at a Spanish university. Data were analyzed using thematic content analysis. The results of the study show that these future physical education teachers are aware of both the great influence of gender stereotypes and the values of consumerism in the field of physical activity stemming largely from the media, which inevitably will shape their future professional practice. However, the results also highlight how these future physical education teachers consider and position the subject of physical education as an important space where they could help students problematize and challenge these beliefs. We suggest that a focus on visual (physical) literacy is needed for future physical education teachers (and their students) to understand the world from a socially critical perspective and transform it in the interest of equity and social justice.

THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN MENSTRUAL CYCLE CHARACTERISTICS AND PERCEIVED BODY IMAGE: A CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY OF POLISH FEMALE ADOLESCENTS

2015 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. 374-390 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Kaczmarek ◽  
Sylwia Trambacz-Oleszak
Keyword(s):  
Body Image ◽  
Menstrual Cycle ◽  
Adolescent Girls ◽  
Weight Status ◽  
Cycle Phase ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Negative Body Image ◽  
Ideal Body Image ◽  
Self Discrepancy

SummaryThe increasing prevalence of negative body perceptions among adolescent girls and the tendency towards wishing to be thinner have become a cultural norm in Western culture. Adolescent girls are particularly vulnerable to developing a negative body image due to physical and sexual changes occurring during puberty. This study aimed to evaluate the association between different measures of body image perceptions and different phases of the menstrual cycle after controlling for weight status and other potential confounders in Polish adolescent girls aged 12–18 years. Three-hundred and thirty participants of a cross-sectional survey conducted in 2009, normally cycling and with no eating disorders, completed a background questionnaire and the Stunkard Figure Rating Scale, and their anthropometric measurements were collected. The dependent outcome variables were measures of body image (actual body image, ideal body image and ideal-self discrepancy) and dichotomous body image perception (satisfied versus dissatisfied) adjusted for other predictor factors: socio-demographic variables, menstrual history and cycle phases, and weight status. One-way ANOVA indicated that weight status, age at menarche and menstrual cycle phase were associated with actual body image and rate of ideal-self discrepancy. Ideal body image was associated with weight status and menstrual cycle phase. General logistic regression models were constructed to evaluate associations of body dissatisfaction and all potential predictor variables. The final selected model of the multiple logistic regression analysis using the backward elimination procedure revealed that adjusted for other factors, negative body image was significantly associated with different phases of the menstrual cycle (ptrend=0.033) and increasing body weight status (ptrend=0.0007). The likelihood of body dissatisfaction was greatest during the premenstrual phase of the menstrual cycle (OR=2.38; 95% CI 1.06, 5.32) and among girls in obesity class I (OR=8.04; 95% CI 2.37, 27.26). The study confirmed the association between body image dissatisfaction in adolescent girls and different phases of the menstrual cycle after controlling for weight status. The issue of negative body self-image is not only of cognitive, but also of practical value as understanding better the factors contributing to the formation of a negative body image may be instrumental in developing preventive health programmes targeted at young people.

scholarly journals Peer-reviewed Images: Image Consuming Selves as Visual CommoditiesNotes: All images used in this article are either part of the author's own archive or have been photographed by him, or he has been commissioned to do so. This article was initially prepared for presenting in a conference titled: ‘Creative Industries in Asia: Innovating within Constraints’, Bangkok University, 12 July 2016. The revised and advanced draft of this article was presented in ‘Visual South Asia Conference’, Department of Anthropology, University of Dhaka, 10-11 May 2017. This essay is a part of the larger book project titled “Flirting with Images and Commodities” that maps our ephemeral encounters with the contemporary visual and material conditions.

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 93-125
Author(s):  
Sreedeep Bhattacharya
Keyword(s):  
Body Image ◽  
Creative Industries ◽  
The Body ◽  
Dual Process ◽  
Body Type ◽  
Body Work ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Ideal Body ◽  
Similar Body ◽  
The Ideal

The article addresses how popular imageries of ideal body types and their circulation inspires the construction of similar body ideals to be achieved through body work, body care and body control. While demonstrating a composite relationship between the ‘image’ and the ‘body’, it renders the interdependency and inseparability of these two entities, capturing the dual process of consuming images of the ideal body and transforming body into images for consumption. The article also advances a theoretical model of image–body unification in contemporary India. Citing a wide range of visual representations of the body/image, the article illustrates how the imageries of the ideal body type are often negotiated through body work, and how the worked-out body is then converted to similar body-image for circulation, thereby creating replicas of predominant ideal types and inspiring the production of bodies and images that are identical to that type. The article situates such practices of image production, circulation and emulation within the larger context of greater levels of tolerance, acceptance and dissemination of the eroticised body. It is argued that the acceptance of the eroticised body as lifestyle choice is an integral part of a larger global visual trend. The erosion of the stigma against representation of the body as a legitimate site of pleasure determines our temporal identities by inviting us to participate in the articulation of the desiring self through image-conscious bodies and through images that make the body more desirable.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document