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Overestimation of body size in eating disorders and its association to body-related avoidance behavior

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Eating and Weight Disorders - Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Body-related avoidance behavior, e.g., not looking in the mirror, is a common feature of eating disorders. It is assumed that it leads to insufficient feedback concerning one’s own real body form and might thus contribute to distorted mental representation of one’s own body. However, this assumption still lacks empirical foundation. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to examine the relationship between misperception of one’s own body and body-related avoidance behavior in N = 78 female patients with Bulimia nervosa and eating disorder not otherwise specified. Body-size misperception was assessed using a digital photo distortion technique based on an individual picture of each participant which was taken in a standardized suit. In a regression analysis with body-related avoidance behavior, body mass index and weight and shape concerns as predictors, only body-related avoidance behavior significantly contributed to the explanation of body-size overestimation. This result supports the theoretical assumption that body-related avoidance behavior makes body-size overestimation more likely.

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Acknowledgments

During data collection, Silja Vocks was employed at the Ruhr-University of Bochum (Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy) and Tanja Legenbauer at the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy).

Conflict of interest

On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states that there is no conflict of interest.

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Author notes

  1. Anna N. Vossbeck-Elsebusch

    Present address: Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Institut für Psychologie, Arbeitseinheit Klinische Psychologie und Psychotherapie, Fliednerstraße 21, 48149, Münster, Germany

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Osnabrück, Osnabrück, Germany

    Anna N. Vossbeck-Elsebusch, Manuel Waldorf, Anika Bauer, Martin Cordes & Silja Vocks

  2. LWL University Hospital for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany

    Tanja Legenbauer

Authors
  1. Anna N. Vossbeck-Elsebusch
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  2. Manuel Waldorf
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  3. Tanja Legenbauer
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  4. Anika Bauer
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  5. Martin Cordes
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  6. Silja Vocks
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Correspondence to Anna N. Vossbeck-Elsebusch.

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Vossbeck-Elsebusch, A.N., Waldorf, M., Legenbauer, T. et al. Overestimation of body size in eating disorders and its association to body-related avoidance behavior. Eat Weight Disord 20, 173–178 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-014-0144-1

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