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Body shape concerns in bulimia nervosa
Author(s) -
Hadigan Colleen M.,
Walsh B. Timothy
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
international journal of eating disorders
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.785
H-Index - 138
eISSN - 1098-108X
pISSN - 0276-3478
DOI - 10.1002/1098-108x(199105)10:3<323::aid-eat2260100308>3.0.co;2-v
Subject(s) - bulimia nervosa , psychology , psychopathology , eating disorders , psychiatry , depression (economics) , anorexia nervosa , clinical psychology , economics , macroeconomics
Overconcern with shape and weight is considered a primary feature of the psychopathology of bulimia nervosa and was included as a diagnostic criterion in DSM‐ III‐R. In order to test the significance of shape and weight concern in bulimia nervosa, we administered the Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ) to 78 outpatients with bulimia nervosa and three comparison groups: 14 women with seasonal affective disorder (SAD), 10 acquaintances of patients, and 32 normal controls. Women with bulimia nervosa had significantly higher mean BSQ scores than did other subject groups. Other self‐report measures of body shape concern, eating attitudes, and depression were correlated with BSQ score. Furthermore, all patients had BSQ scores greater than the average score of the normal control group. These data support the continued inclusion of body shape and weight overconcern as a diagnostic criterion for bulimia nervosa but suggest that “overconcern” should be interpreted as “above average” rather than “outside the normal range”.