Evaluating the Body Experience of Patients with Eating Disorders Through Video Confrontation — An Evaluation Protocol

Abstract

Anorexia nervosa is a psychosomatic syndrome; its most striking characteristic is extreme emaciation as a result of excessive reduction of food intake by aversion to eating, vomiting and abuse of laxatives. The extreme weight reduction and the strong fear of becoming fat result, according to Bruch (1962, 1973), in a discrepancy between body appearance and body experience. The patients feel fat; even in their emaciated state they are unconcerned with the extreme loss of body weight; and toward other people, they maintain that they are not thin. Bruch defined this body experience disorder as a perceptual and conceptual one, i.e. a disorder of the body image and body concept, a disorder of perception and cognitive interpretation, and the feeling of ineffectiveness. In addition, Bruch claims that a realistic body image and a re-acceptance of the body are a necessary condition for recovery. This proposition, although it has not yet been proved, is gaining ground among therapists.