Body size overestimation and its association with body mass index, body dissatisfaction, and drive for thinness in anorexia nervosa.
BACKGROUND
Body size overestimation is a fundamental feature in anorexia nervosa (AN). There have been inconclusive findings about the extent to which this feature distinguishes psychopathology and some authors have argued that overestimation may be a function of lower body mass index (BMI).


METHODS
We examine body size estimation accuracy and body dissatisfaction in 74 females with AN and 11 age-matched female controls using two well-established psychophysical procedures.


RESULTS
Participants with AN overestimated their body size more and had greater body dissatisfaction than controls. Size accuracy was found to be independent of BMI and correlated with body dissatisfaction and drive for thinness in participants with AN.


CONCLUSIONS
We conclude that overestimation of body size in AN is related to the psychopathology associated with the disorder and is not due to any perceptual tendency for people with lower BMI to overestimate their body size. We discuss the implications of these findings for treatment of AN.
Eating Disorder Program, Children's Hospital Colorado, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver, CO, 80045, USA.
Jennifer
J
Hagman
Department of Psychology, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, CO, 80217-3364, USA. rick.gardner@ucdenver.edu.
Rick M
RM
Gardner
Department of Psychology, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, CO, 80217-3364, USA.
Dana L
DL
Brown
Department of Biostatistics and Informatics, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, CO, 80045, USA.
Jane
J
Gralla
Boulder Medical Center/Obstetrics, Boulder, CO, 80303, USA.
Jennifer M
JM
Fier
Eating Disorder Program, Children's Hospital Colorado, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver, CO, 80045, USA.
Guido K W
GK
Frank
D000293:Adolescent; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D057215:Body Dysmorphic Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D049628:Body Size; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D013851:Thinness / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*
Anorexia nervosa; Body dissatisfaction; Body mass index; Body size overestimation; Drive for thinness; Video distortion method