Body size estimation in anorexia nervosa: A brief review of findings from 2003 through 2013

Abstract Body size overestimation is a fundamental feature in anorexia nervosa (AN). The extent or even existence of body size overestimation in AN is controversial. The most recent review ( Farrell et al., 2005 ) found that only half the studies reported overestimation of body size in individuals d...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Psychiatry research 2014-11, Vol.219 (3), p.407-410
Main Authors: Gardner, Rick M, Brown, Dana L
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult and adolescent clinical studies
Anorexia nervosa
Anorexia Nervosa - diagnosis
Anorexia Nervosa - psychology
Biological and medical sciences
Body Constitution
Body Image
Body Size
Body size overestimation
Eating behavior disorders
Eating disorders
Female
Humans
Literature review
Medical sciences
Methodology
Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychometrics
Psychopathology. Psychiatry
Reproducibility of Results
Young Adult
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Summary:Abstract Body size overestimation is a fundamental feature in anorexia nervosa (AN). The extent or even existence of body size overestimation in AN is controversial. The most recent review ( Farrell et al., 2005 ) found that only half the studies reported overestimation of body size in individuals diagnosed with AN. The remaining studies found no overestimation or in some instances underestimation. The discrepancy in these findings has been attributed to the wide variety of assessment techniques that are used, including many with questionable psychometric properties. We review all 9 contemporary studies conducted in this area since the last review in 2005. For each study we describe the number of participants, methodology, reliability/validity data, amount of whole body distortion, effect sizes, and a summary of findings. In all studies that included a healthy control group, individuals with AN overestimated their whole body size more than healthy controls did. The difference was significant in all except two studies. Based on these contemporary findings, we conclude that individuals with AN overestimate their body size and that the greater consistency of findings in the studies conducted over the last decade is attributable to the use of improved methodologies and assessment tools with documented psychometric properties.
ISSN:0165-1781
1872-7123
DOI:10.1016/j.psychres.2014.06.029