Page Sec1:33 - Labyrint 2013 - English Edition

Photo: Colourbox.com
Body dysmorphic
­disorder
Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a
mental disorder that can occur at all
levels of society.
People with BDD are very focused
on the idea that there is some aspect
of their appearance is unattractive,
deformed, or that there is something
wrong with a specific part of their body
or appearance. In reality, this presumed
physical defect is generally minimal or
non-existent. The presumed defect is
most often related to the face or head,
such as the skin, hair or the nose. In
some cases, BDD may occur during
childhood, but it usually crops up in
adolescence and later.
Source:www.kroppsbilde.info
Women stressed, men
satisfied
Statistics Norway reports that when
self-assessed physical health is meas-
ured, women who have undergone
cosmetic surgery are struggling. The
proportion of women in this group
who consider their health to be poor is
twice as high as in women in general. It
also appears that those who have had
cosmetic surgery may be more vulner­
able. The proportion of women who
feel discriminated against or treated
differently for various reasons is higher
in this group.
The pattern in men is the opposite.
Men who have had cosmetic surgery
reported feeling less depressed, report-
ed better health, and felt less discrimi-
nated against than men in general. The
data show clear gender differences:
while men who have a cosmetic sur-
gery appear to be a healthy resource-
ful group, cosmetic surgery among
women is associated with high income,
but poorer physical and mental health.
Source:www.kroppsbilde.info
University of Tromsø – Labyrint E/13 ••• 33