Impairment of the Body Image: Perceptions and Subjective Evaluations in Adolescents and Young Adults

Abstract

The construction of body image consists of the ways in which the body is considered, perceived, and evaluated. The ideal body image has been changing considerably over the centuries; the discrepancy between real and ideal body, today, leads many individuals to be dissatisfied with their body, develop negative feelings, and, in some cases, unhealthy behaviors. All this has led, in recent decades, to a sort of cult of the body. As a matter of fact, in Western culture the body has turned into an idol, a strict and demanding god to which one often becomes a slave. This article presents a bibliographical review on the main theories concerning body image, thus opening a space for reflection on its relative disorders, first of all that of body dysmorphism.

Keywords:

• Body image
• dysmorphism
• identity
• self-construction

Note

Notes

1 SSRIs possess a marked selectivity of action on serotonin and for this reason they are generally and effectively used with depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, and eating disorders. As for DDC, clinical evidence demonstrates the effectiveness of this treatment; for example, in a retrospective study it was shown that in 42% of 65 patients treated with SSRIs (fluoxetine, paroxetine, sertraline, or fluvoxamine) a significant improvement was obtained (Phillips, 1995).