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Perceptual distortion of body image in adolescent girls: distortion of body image in adolescence

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

Katherine A. Halmi ,
Solomon C. Goldberg  and
Sheila Cunningham
Katherine A. Halmi*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa Medical School, Iowa City, Iowa
Solomon C. Goldberg
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa Medical School, Iowa City, Iowa
Sheila Cunningham
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa Medical School, Iowa City, Iowa
*
1Address for correspondence: Dr Katherine A. Halmi, 500 Newton Road, Iowa City, Iowa 52240, USA.
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Synopsis

Body image estimations in 86 normal-weight adolescent girls showed (a) a tendency to overestimate body width and underestimate body length and (b) an association between the younger ages and the extent of overestimation of body width. In particular there is a sharp drop in overestimation between ages 10 and 11 and thereafter a more gradual and non-significant decline. These age-specific normative data are useful in assessing body image distortions in a variety of medical and psychiatric disorders.

Type
Research Article
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 7 , Issue 2 , May 1977 , pp. 253 - 257
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1977

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References

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