Body image in the Old Order Amish: A people separate from "the world"

Objective: Body image measures were assessed among the Old Order Amish, a P rotestant religious community living separate from Western industrialized s ociety. Method: One hundred six Old Order Amish men (n = 50) and women (n = 56), aged 14-67 years, were studied by two measures of body image: (1) bod y dissatisfaction as assessed by the difference between subjects' body mass index (BMI, kg/m(2)) and the BMI that they chose as their ideal and (2) th e relative accuracy of perception of body size assessed by comparing subjec ts' choice of body size on a Figure Rating Scale with the choice of a relat ive. Results: Young persons and persons of normal weight of both genders sh owed no body dissatisfaction or inaccuracy in their perception of their bod y size. Older persons of both genders, on the other hand, manifested body d issatisfaction (actual BMI greater than ideal BMI). Older women also overes timated their body size. Obese persons of both genders manifested body diss atisfaction (actual BMI greater than ideal BMI) and obese men overestimated their body size. Discussion: Young Amish people do not show the body image problems characteristic of young persons in Western industrial society. Th eir elders and obese persons may have some such problems. (C) 2000 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.