| A staggering number of individuals elect to undergo aesthetic medical treatments to alter or enhance their physical appearance. Body image dissatisfaction is thought to be a primary factor in motivating people to seek these procedures. Given this, individuals with extreme body image disturbance such as body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) may present for aesthetic surgery. Because of the potential interface between BDD and aesthetic medical procedures (e.g., individuals experiencing body image dissatisfaction), the purpose of this study was to compare the multidimensionality of body image, namely body image cognitions, emotions, behaviors, and quality of life between aesthetic surgery candidates and individuals with BDD. Participants included 72 women (33 aesthetic surgery candidates who were recruited from 3 sites and 39 BDD patients from an archival data set). They were assessed using a multidimensional approach comprised of validated, psychometrically sound body image measures. Results indicated that individuals with BDD reported significantly greater global dissatisfaction and greater dissatisfaction with their face, hair, muscle tone, height, and overall appearance when compared to aesthetic surgery candidates. The BDD group also reported greater self-evaluative and motivational investment, higher levels of body image disturbance, poorer body image quality of life, more frequent body image dysphoria, and engaged in more body image coping by appearance fixing than the aesthetic surgery group. Positive BDD screening rates were 15.2% for the aesthetic surgery candidates and 87.2% for the BDD group. Limitations, implications, and future directions were discussed. |
