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The relationship between body-image and body-fat in adult women

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

D. A. Brodie  and
P. D. Slade
D. A. Brodie*
Affiliation:
School of Movement Science and Sub-department of Clinical Psychology, University of Liverpool
P. D. Slade
Affiliation:
School of Movement Science and Sub-department of Clinical Psychology, University of Liverpool
*
1Address for correspondence: Dr D. A. Brodie, School of Movement Science, University of Liverpool, P.O. Box 147, Liverpool L69 3BX.
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Synopsis

Measures of body-fat or adiposity, body-image, and other psychological variables were obtained from a sample of 100 female volunteer subjects. The measures of adiposity included surface anthropometry, underwater weighing and a new electrical impedance method. Body-image measures were derived from two experimental techniques, namely the visual-size estimation (or calliper) method and a distorting-mirror, and also from a self-report body-satisfaction scale (BSS).

The main findings were that measures of adiposity were positively and significantly related to each other. But, that by contrast, measures of body-image separated out into three distinct sets, namely: (i) ‘mirror’ accuracy, (2) ‘callipers’ accuracy, and (3) ‘dissatisfaction/desire for change’. The ‘accuracy’ measures were found to be unrelated to measures of adiposity or other psychological variables: while the ‘dissatisfaction’ measures were found to relate to both of these. The implications of these findings for future studies of weight and eating disorder groups are discussed.

Type
Research Article
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 18 , Issue 3 , August 1988 , pp. 623 - 631
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1988

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