Perceptual body image of patients with anorexia or bulimia nervosa and their fathers

Abstract

Purpose: Little is known about how fathers of patients with eating disorders perceive their own body. In this study we investigated body image perception of patients with anorexia and bulimia nervosa and body image perception of their fathers in a computer assisted approach.

Methods: A computer program, the somatomorphic matrix, is presented that allows modeling of perceived and desired body-images of patients and their relatives. Patients and fathers rated their own body images and fathers additionally rated the body images of their daughters. The images implemented in the program correspond with defined percentages of body fat and muscularity. Selected images were compared with subjects' anthropometric data regarding body fat and muscularity. Data from 42 father-daughter-dyads (27 patients with anorexia, 15 with bulimia nervosa) were examined. Differences between both diagnostic groups were compared and associations between fathers' and daughters' body image perceptions within each group were investigated.

Results: Patients with anorexia nervosa overestimated their bodies on the body fat dimension. Patients with bulimia nervosa wished to have a body with less fat. Fathers of both groups of patients perceived their own bodies correctly but wished to have less body fat and to be more muscular. The wish for a change in body fat of anorexia nervosa patients was highly correlated with fathers' BMI (r=0.49; p=0.009). The wish for a change in body fat of bulimia nervosa patients was correlated with fathers' distorted body image perception in terms of muscularity (r=-0.66, p=0.007) and with fathers' wish for a more muscular body (r=-0.51, p=0.05).

Conclusion: Body images of patients with eating disorders and their fathers are related in the group of patients with bulimia nervosa. Perhaps, body images of fathers should be addressed in family therapy with patients with bulimia nervosa.