Do Individuals with Eating Disorders See Their Own External and/or Internal Beauty?

Mapping Intimacies ◽

10.5772/intechopen.97508 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Martha Peaslee Levine

Keyword(s):

Eating Disorders ◽

Body Image ◽

Body Weight ◽

Anorexia Nervosa ◽

Disordered Eating ◽

Sense Of Self ◽

Self Perception ◽

Self Worth

It has been well documented that individuals struggling with eating disorders don’t have clear perceptions of their own bodies. Yet they overly rely on their body image as their sense of self. Even the criteria of certain eating disorders recognize that individuals are strongly affected by their body weight and shape, which is often seen through a distorted lens. Individuals with eating disorders, particularly anorexia nervosa, struggle not only with recognizing their external beauty but also their internal positive qualities. Their perfectionism and critical sense of self leads them to have negative views of their beauty and self-worth. This chapter will look at some of the reasons individuals with eating disorders struggle to appreciate their own beauty, internally as well as externally, and will offer some tools to help with these struggles. Many individuals, even those without disordered eating, struggle with critical self-perception. Perhaps this chapter can help us all become more compassionate to ourselves as we consider our external and internal aspects of beauty.

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Ableism and Body Image: Conceptualizing How Individuals Are Marginalized

Women in Sport and Physical Activity Journal ◽

10.1123/wspaj.19.1.91 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

pp. 91-97 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Justine J. Reel ◽

Robert A. Bucciere

Keyword(s):

Eating Disorders ◽

Body Image ◽

Intellectual Disabilities ◽

Sense Of Self ◽

Individuals With Disabilities ◽

Persons With Disabilities ◽

Self Worth ◽

Standards Of Beauty ◽

Poor Body Image ◽

Stigma Theory

According to stigma theory, individuals with disabilities possess “discrediting attributes” that prevent them from meeting culturally constructed standards of beauty. An individual with a disability may find that his or her body is viewed as being somehow defective, deviant, or grotesque. Persons with disabilities feel that they are unable to achieve the societal ideal and that their masculinity or femininity may be questioned (Bucciere & Reel, 2009). As a result, individuals with physical and intellectual disabilities face a decreased sense of self worth, poor body image, and in some cases may be vulnerable to eating disorders.

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Music Therapy Programming for Persons With Eating Disorders

Voices A World Forum for Music Therapy ◽

10.15845/voices.v20i3.2785 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 20 (3) ◽

pp. 15

Author(s):

Varvara Pasiali ◽

Jessica Hassall ◽

Hailey A Park ◽

Dean Quick

Keyword(s):

Eating Disorders ◽

Body Image ◽

Music Therapy ◽

Eating Habits ◽

Sense Of Self ◽

Clinical Work ◽

Well Being ◽

Guided Imagery And Music ◽

Self Worth ◽

Bonny Method

Eating disorders are serious disturbances in eating habits, body image attitudes, and weight that affect overall well-being and can have life-threatening consequences. Participation in music therapy sessions may allow for healing of anxiety, self-worth, and body-image challenges that each person may face. In this manuscript we examined the music therapy literature pertaining to clinical work with persons who have eating disorders. We describe six techniques (clinical improvisation, song autobiography, song discussion, songwriting, music assisted relaxation/imagery, and Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music) and their reported uses in the literature. While the evidence supports that these techniques are effective, we acknowledge that what works in one context may not be culturally relevant or effective in another. The overview of the evidence in the literature corroborates how therapists who work with persons who have eating disorders tend to use music therapy techniques as pathways for contributing to sense of self. For each technique, we provide clinical examples with a strong element of the need to redevelop or discover identity.

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Celebrity influence on body image and eating disorders: A review

Journal of Health Psychology ◽

10.1177/1359105320988312 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 135910532098831

Author(s):

Zoe Brown ◽

Marika Tiggemann

Keyword(s):

Eating Disorders ◽

Body Image ◽

Big Data ◽

Body Dissatisfaction ◽

Disordered Eating ◽

Research Articles ◽

Inclusion Criteria ◽

Media Attention ◽

Research Findings ◽

Appearance Comparison

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.

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

The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry ◽

10.1177/070674379303800701 ◽

1993 ◽

Vol 38 (7) ◽

pp. 469-471 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

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.

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Association Between Paranoia And Anorexia Nervosa In Adolescents: What Factors Are Involved?

10.21203/rs.2.24625/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Gennaro Catone ◽

Filomena Salerno ◽

Giulia Muzzo ◽

Valentina Lanzara ◽

Antonella Gritti

Keyword(s):

Eating Disorders ◽

Body Image ◽

Anorexia Nervosa ◽

Eating Disorder ◽

Social Anxiety ◽

Associated Factors ◽

Anxiety Symptoms ◽

Pediatric Care ◽

Eating Disorder Symptoms ◽

Body Image Concerns

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.

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Immunology of Eating Disorders

Immunopsychiatry ◽

10.1093/med/9780190884468.003.0014 ◽

2018 ◽

pp. 241-250

Author(s):

Adaliene Versiani Matos Ferreira ◽

Laís Bhering Martins ◽

Nayara Mussi Monteze ◽

Geneviève Marcelin ◽

Karine Clément

Keyword(s):

Eating Disorders ◽

Body Weight ◽

Anorexia Nervosa ◽

Immune Cells ◽

Eating Behaviors ◽

Viral Infections ◽

Low Grade ◽

Obese People ◽

Obese Subjects ◽

Low Grade Inflammation

Eating disorders (EDs) are characterized by dysregulation in eating behavior leading to extreme increase or decrease in food intake that, in turn, changes body weight, adiposity, and physical health. Anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), and binge eating disorder (BED) are the three major eating disorders. Peculiar immune abnormalities occur in these conditions. Previous studies have reported a higher number of CD4+ T lymphocytes in patients with AN, which are related to a relative resistance to viral infections, even in the presence of leukopenia. It has also been proposed that a cluster of cytokines is altered in these patients. A chronic low-grade inflammation has been observed in obese people with BED and in patients with AN, but with a different profile in each condition. In this context, antagonist drugs of specific cytokines, such as anti-TNF, showed improvement of AN-related symptoms, but increased weight gain in obese subjects. The identification of specific molecules and/or immune cells that impair neuronal circuits implicated in eating behaviors may contribute to the development of pharmacological strategies for eating disorders.

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Atypical Eating Disorders and Specific Phobia of Vomiting

Clinical Handbook of Complex and Atypical Eating Disorders ◽

10.1093/med-psych/9780190630409.003.0016 ◽

2017 ◽

pp. 270-290

Author(s):

Alexandra Keyes ◽

David Veale

Keyword(s):

Eating Disorders ◽

Weight Loss ◽

Anorexia Nervosa ◽

Disordered Eating ◽

Clinical Features ◽

Food Restriction ◽

Clinical Case ◽

Evidence Base ◽

Specific Phobia ◽

Case Conceptualization

Some individuals with specific phobia of vomiting (SPOV) (emetophobia) may present with disordered eating, including food restriction and weight loss. Such cases may be misdiagnosed as anorexia nervosa (AN), thus complicating case conceptualization, formulation, and treatment. This chapter outlines the clinical features of SPOV, including those that overlap with AN and other disorders. Treatment approaches and their evidence base are discussed, and a clinical case example of an individual with SPOV and disordered eating is presented. More research is needed to address the overlap between eating disorders and SPOV in order to better distinguish overlaps in presentation and to develop treatments that effectively target the central fears in these cases.

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Body Dysmorphic Disorder and Eating Disorders

Clinical Handbook of Complex and Atypical Eating Disorders ◽

10.1093/med-psych/9780190630409.003.0007 ◽

2017 ◽

pp. 112-125

Author(s):

Danyale McCurdy-McKinnon ◽

Jamie D. Feusner

Keyword(s):

Eating Disorders ◽

Body Image ◽

Eating Disorder ◽

Disordered Eating ◽

Body Dysmorphic Disorder ◽

Future Research ◽

Body Image Concern ◽

Core Feature ◽

Visuospatial Processing

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.

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Eighteen-year trajectories of depressive symptoms in mothers with a lifetime eating disorder: findings from the ALSPAC cohort

The British Journal of Psychiatry ◽

10.1192/bjp.2019.89 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 216 (2) ◽

pp. 90-96 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Yu Wei Chua ◽

Gemma Lewis ◽

Abigail Easter ◽

Glyn Lewis ◽

Francesca Solmi

Keyword(s):

Eating Disorders ◽

Body Image ◽

Anorexia Nervosa ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Bulimia Nervosa ◽

Growth Curves ◽

Sensitivity Analyses ◽

Continuous Measure ◽

In Pregnancy

BackgroundTwo longitudinal studies have shown that depressive symptoms in women with eating disorders might improve in the antenatal and early postnatal periods. No study has followed up women beyond 8 months postnatal.AimsTo investigate long-term trajectories of depressive symptoms in mothers with lifetime self-reported eating disorders.MethodUsing data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children and multilevel growth curves we modelled trajectories of depressive symptoms from the 18th week of pregnancy to 18 years postnatal in women with lifetime self-reported anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa or both anorexia and bulimia nervosa. As sensitivity analyses we also investigated these trajectories using quintiles of a continuous measure of body image in pregnancy.ResultsOf the 9276 women in our main sample, 126 (1.4%) reported a lifetime diagnosis of anorexia nervosa, 153 (1.6%) of bulimia nervosa and 60 (0.6%) of both anorexia and bulimia nervosa. Women with lifetime eating disorders had greater depressive symptoms scores than women with no eating disorders, before and after adjustment for confounders (anorexia nervosa: 2.10, 95% CI 1.36–2.83; bulimia nervosa: 2.28, 95% CI: 1.61–2.94, both anorexia and bulimia nervosa: 2.86, 95% CI 1.81–3.90). We also observed a dose–response association between greater body image and eating concerns in pregnancy and more severe trajectories of depressive symptoms, even after adjusting for lifetime eating disorders which also remained independently associated with greater depressive symptoms.ConclusionsWomen with eating disorders experience persistently greater depressive symptoms across the life-course. More training for practitioners and midwives on how to recognise eating disorders in pregnancy could help to identify depressive symptoms and reduce the long-term burden of disease resulting from this comorbidity.

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