Perceptual pathway linked with body size misperception increases risk of eating and exercise disorders

A new study led by researchers at Macquarie University has identified a psychological pathway that can lead to body size and shape misperception in individuals, putting them at greater risk of developing conditions such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and muscle dysmorphia. The researchers report that the extent to which a person is dissatisfied with their own body impacts how much time they spend looking at thinner body types. This, in turn, causes adaptation of their brains' visual perception mechanisms, such that thinner bodies are perceived as 'normal'. This can lead to an overestimation of their own body size.