Body checking and associated cognitions among Brazilian outpatients with eating disorders and nonpsychiatric controls

This work aims to compare in patients with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and control subjects: (a) body checking types, frequency, and parts; (b) prevalence of body avoidance and the most checked body parts; (c) body checking cognitions. Eighty-five outpatients with eating disorders (ED) and 40 controls filled out validated body checking and cognition questionnaires. ED patients, especially bulimia nervosa, check their bodies more than do the control subjects. The most checked area was the belly. The most frequent means of body checking was mirror checking, while the most avoided was weighing. The reasons that participants in the various study groups check their bodies seem to differ. Given the importance of body checking in the etiology and maintenance of EDs, it is important that clinicians consider this behavior, as well as the factors that lead to checking/avoidance in the different eating disorder subtypes, so that treatment may be more specific.

► The paper compares body checking types, frequency and parts most checked in patients with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and controls. ► The paper verifies that ED patients, especially bulimia nervosa, check and avoid their bodies more than control subjects. ► The paper describes most often and most avoided body parts: the least checked area is the buttocks, and the most checked is the belly. ► The paper shows that all study groups checked their bodies in a desire for objective verification of their body weight and shape.