Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Cognitive behavioral therapy for body image has been shown to be an effective way to improve body dissatisfaction. It has been applied to people with eating disorders, obesity, body dysmorphic disorder and normal weight, who have negative feelings about their bodies. It is critically important to target body image for specific treatment, as negative feelings about one's body are often a contributing factor to eating disorders. What is body image? Body image can be defined as the image one has in mind regarding the appearance (i.e. size and shape) of his body and the attitude he forms towards these characteristics of his body. So there are two components of body image: the perceptual part, or how one sees one's body, and the attitudinal part, or how one feels about one's perceived body appearance (Gardner, 1996). Negative body image may take the form of mild feelings of unattractiveness or extreme obsession with physical appearance that impairs normal functioning (Rosen, 1995). How do Americans feel about their bodies? The 1997 Psychology Today Body Image Survey revealed that Americans have more discontent with their bodies than ever before. 56% of women surveyed said they were dissatisfied with their appearance in general. The main problems reported by women were the abdomen (71%), body weight (66%), hips (60%) and muscle tone (58%). Many men were also dissatisfied with their overall appearance, nearly 43%. However, body dissatisfaction for men and women usually means two different things. More men than women want to gain weight to feel satisfied with their body (Ga...... half of the document ...... 4.Rosen, JC, (1995). Body Image Assessment and Treatment in Controlled Studies of Eating Disorders. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 20, 331-343. Rosen, J. C., (1995). Reiter, J., & Orosan, P., (1995) Cognitive-behavioral body image therapy for body dysmorphic disorder. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 63, 263-269. Rosen, J.C., Saltzberg, E., & Srebnik, D., (1989). Cognitive behavioral therapy for negative body image, 20, 393-404. , F., Willson, R., & Walburn, J., (1996). Body dysmorphic disorder: A cognitive behavioral model and a randomized, controlled pilot behavioral trial, 34, 717-729.