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The reliability of estimates of body width and their relationship to current measured body size among anorexic and normal subjects

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

David I. Ben-Tovim  and
Arthur H. Crisp
David I. Ben-Tovim*
Affiliation:
Academic Department of Psychiatry, St George's Hospital Medical School, London, Atkinson Morley's Hospital, London
Arthur H. Crisp
Affiliation:
Academic Department of Psychiatry, St George's Hospital Medical School, London, Atkinson Morley's Hospital, London
*
1 Address for correspondence: Dr D. I. Ben-Tovim, Department of Psychiatry, Flinders Medical Centre, Bedford Park, South Australia 5042, Australia.
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Synopsis

Normal and anorexic subjects' estimates of their own body width were obtained. The estimates were reliable measures, but they did not correlate with the subjects' actual body widths. The implications of this finding especially when relating anorexic patients' self-perceptions to their clinical outcome, are discussed. It seems preferable to use such estimates untransformed by division with the subjects' actual body widths.

Type
Research Article
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 14 , Issue 4 , November 1984 , pp. 843 - 846
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1984

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