Body Image: Interfacing Behavioral and Medical Sciences

Body image, and more specifically body image dissatisfaction, is believed to play a central role in motivating a number of appearance-enhancing behaviors-including weight loss, cosmetic and fashion purchases, and aesthetic surgery.The term "body image" has been defined a number of different ways.It most commonly refers to an individual's experiences of embodiment, especially self-perceptions and self-attitudes toward one's appearance.Body image is typically viewed as a multidimensional construct, consisting of perceptual, attitudinal, and behavioral components.The two most central body image dimensions are body image evaluation (e.g., satisfaction or dissatisfaction) and body image investment (i.e., the psychological importance of one's appearance to his or her sense of self or self-worth).Much like the growth of aesthetic surgery, interest in the psychological construct of body image has blossomed in popularity over the past few decades.Much of this growth has been attributed to the increased attention on eating disorders and obesity in the mental health community.As a result, the field often has taken a rather myopic view of body image, focusing primarily on weight and shape concerns.In reality, the future of the field of body image likely lies at the interface of behavioral and medical sciences, including plastic surgery.This interaction is reflected in important peerreviewed publications such as Aesthetic Surgery Journal and the relatively new Body Image: An International Journal of Research, launched in 2004.The recent inclusion of Body Image in Medline further validates the importance of quality, scholarly work in this area. 1From a clinical perspective, we also believe it is important for mental health and medical professionals to understand the psychological aspects of physical appearance and body image, so that they may provide the best possible guidance and care to their patients.