The borderland of anorexia nervosa: relationship of weight loss and amenorrhoea to body image measures.
The attitudes to body image of a group of nursing students were measured by a form of the repertory grid. These responses are compared with responses of low weight and refed anorexia nervosa subjects. A high incidence (20 percent) of self-reported amenorrhoea associated with dieting and weight loss was present in the nursing student group. Those subjects reporting such an experience were demonstrably different from both the remainder of the nursing student group and the anorectics. Major findings were the personal perception of themselves as more feeling and sexual despite a continuance of an apparent desire for a belly thinner than that actually perceived. These distinctions may reflect important psychological conflicts operative in development or continuance of anorexia nervosa.
D000328:Adult; D000568:Amenorrhea / Q000523:psychology*; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000523:psychology*; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001827:Body Height; D001828:Body Image; D001835:Body Weight; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010555:Personality Inventory; D012649:Self Concept