The nature and extent of body-image disturbances in anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa: A meta-analysis

Objective Although body‐image disturbance is among the diagnostic criteria for anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, the nature and extent of this disturbance have not been precisely identified. This is the purpose of this first meta‐analysis of extant research on body image and eating disorders. Me...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The International journal of eating disorders 1997-09, Vol.22 (2), p.107-126
Main Authors: Cash, Thomas F., Deagle III, Edwin A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult and adolescent clinical studies
Anorexia
Anorexia nervosa
Anorexia Nervosa - psychology
Biological and medical sciences
Body Constitution
Body Image
body image disturbance
Bulimia
Bulimia - psychology
Case-Control Studies
Eating behavior disorders
Eating disorders
Effect Modifier, Epidemiologic
Female
Humans
Medical sciences
meta-analysis
Perceptions
Personal Satisfaction
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychopathology. Psychiatry
Self Concept
Self image
size distortion
Surveys and Questionnaires
Systematic review
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Summary:Objective Although body‐image disturbance is among the diagnostic criteria for anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, the nature and extent of this disturbance have not been precisely identified. This is the purpose of this first meta‐analysis of extant research on body image and eating disorders. Method: Using contemporary techniques, the meta‐analysis systematically examined 66 studies (from 1974 to 1993) of perceptual and attitudinal parameters of body image among anorexics and bulimics relative to control groups. Results: Attitudinal body dissatisfaction, both questionnaire and self‐ideal discrepancy measures, produced substantially larger effect sizes than did perceptual size‐estimation inaccuracy. Body dissatisfaction measures, whether global or weight/shape related, differentiated bulimic and anorexic groups (with bulimics having more dissatisfaction), whereas perceptual distortion indices did not. Somewhat larger effects occurred with whole‐body than with body‐part size‐estimation assessments. Size distortion among patients with eating disorders appears unlikely to reflect a more generalized sensory/perceptual deficit. Discussion: Scientific, conceptual, and clinical implications of these findings are delineated. © 1997 Wiley‐Liss, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 22: 107–125, 1997.
ISSN:0276-3478
1098-108X
DOI:10.1002/(SICI)1098-108X(199709)22:2<107::AID-EAT1>3.0.CO;2-J