A vast topic indeed but here are a few possibilities --
The media's representation of the ideal male body: a cause for muscle dysmorphia?
OBJECTIVE: This study sought to examine the effects of media images on
men's attitudes toward their body appearance. METHOD: A group of
college men viewed advertisements showing muscular men, whereas a
control group viewed neutral advertisements. Immediately thereafter,
participants performed a computerized test of body image perception
while unaware of the hypotheses being tested in the study. RESULTS:
The students exposed to the muscular images showed a significantly
greater discrepancy between their own perceived muscularity and the
level of muscularity that they ideally wanted to have. DISCUSSION:
These findings suggest that media images, even in a brief
presentation, can affect men's views of their bodies.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=11920996
From a CNS perspective:
Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a condition characterized by an
intense preoccupation with an imagined or slight defect in physical
appearance. Although there is a general consensus that psychosocial
factors play a major role in the development of BDD, there is some
evidence suggesting that an organic somatosensorial disturbance may
also exist in this condition. Several psychiatric and neurological
disorders, including the interparietal syndrome, Gertsman's syndrome,
inferoparietal syndrome, phantom limb syndrome, genital retraction
syndrome, panencephalitis, cerebrovascular syndromes, and pharyngeal
streptococcia affecting the basal ganglia, can present with
somatosensorial disturbances similar to BDD. The cerebral pathology in
all these disorders appears to be localized in the parietal-occipital
region, indicating that cerebral involvement may also be associated
with BDD. An interdependence exists between cerebral regions through
integrated neural networks that enable efficient processing of
information. Disturbances in these association pathways can lead to an
imbalance in the extensive cerebral loops. Therefore, it is possible
that a defect in information-processing may play a role in the
pathogenesis of BDD.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=15107764
From a memory perspective:
A semi-structured interview assessing the presence and characteristics
of spontaneous appearance-related images was designed and
administered. A total of 18 patients with body dysmorphic disorder
(BDD) and 18 normal controls took part. The BDD patients were found to
have spontaneously occurring appearance-related images that were
significantly more negative, recurrent, and viewed from an observer
perspective than control participants. These images were more vivid
and detailed and typically involved visual and organic (internal body)
sensations. The study also found that BDD images were linked to early
stressful memories, and that images were more likely than verbal
thoughts to be linked to these memories. Implications for theory and
clinical practice are discussed.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=15487539
An art/design hypothesis:
OBJECTIVE: The authors hypothesized that because patients with body
dysmorphic disorder are preoccupied with their appearance and
aesthetics, they are more likely to have an occupation or education in
art and design than patients with other psychiatric disorders. METHOD:
Information on occupation and higher education or training was
extracted from the case notes of 100 consecutive patients with body
dysmorphic disorder and compared with the same information for 100
patients with a major depressive episode, 100 with
obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and 100 with posttraumatic stress
disorder (PTSD). RESULTS: Twenty percent of the patients with body
dysmorphic disorder had an occupation or education in art or design,
compared with 4% of the patients with major depressive episode, 3% of
those with OCD, and 0% of those with PTSD. CONCLUSIONS: Onset of body
dysmorphic disorder is usually gradual during adolescence, and an
education in art and design may be a contributory factor to its
development in some patients. An equally plausible explanation is that
patients with body dysmorphic disorder tend to have an interest in
aesthetics.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=12359691
K.A. Phillips, Ph.D.
http://www.butler.org/body.cfm?id=129
Dr. David Veale
http://www.veale.co.uk/PUBS.HTM
Good luck!
*V* |
