VALIDATION OF SELF IDEAL BODY-SIZE DISCREPANCY AS A MEASURE OF BODY DISSATISFACTION

Recently, body dissatisfaction has been conceptualized as the discrepa ncy between self and ideal body size estimates. This study evaluated t he validity of this conceptualization using three methods for estimati ng actual and ideal body size: (a) the Body Image Assessment, (b) the Body Image Testing System, and (c) the Body Image Detection Device. Th e three body image assessment procedures were concurrently administere d to a sample of 110 women diagnosed. bulimia nervosa (n = 18), obese (n = 34), and non-eating disorder (n = 58). The Eating Disorder Invent ory Body Dissatisfaction scale was also used to measure body dissatisf action. Measures of self-ideal body size discrepancy were found to cor relate more highly with measures of body dissatisfaction than were mea sures of current body size perception, ideal body size, body size esti mation accuracy, or indices based on actual body size. Estimation of b oth current and ideal body size were found to significantly predict ov erall body dissatisfaction; thus, both self and ideal body size measur es were found to be significant components in determining body size di ssatisfaction. These data were interpreted as supportive of the concep tualization of body dissatisfaction as the discrepancy between self an d ideal body size estimates.