Distorted Body Image

For many who have anorexia, appearance and body type are major considerations. The idea of body image refers to a person's impression of their physical characteristics and feelings about their bodies. A bad body image and unpleasant sentiments about one's physical self are characteristics of anorexia. Participants in one research had misunderstandings regarding their physical characteristics and body type. They also showed a strong desire to be skinny. Body size overestimation, or believing one is larger than one actually is, is a typical trait of anorexia.

In one research, 25 anorexic participants were asked to determine if they were too fat to fit through a door-like aperture in order to test this theory. In comparison to the control group, those with anorexia considerably inflated their physical size. One such sign of anorexia is routine body inspection. Examples of this tendency include checking your body measurements, pinching the fat on certain areas of your body, and staring in the mirror. Bodily-checking can encourage food restriction in anorexics and raise feelings of body inadequacy and anxiety. Evidence also suggests that anorexia might be more common among susceptible individuals in sports that emphasize weight and appearance.