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Tanja Legenbauer, PhD, Heinz Ruddel, MD, Nikolaus F. Troje, PhD, Silja Vocks, PhD. Static and Dynamic Body Image in Bulimia Nervosa: Mental Representaion of Body Dimension and Biological Motion Patterns. Inter Science Journal, Vol. 10, 2007, pages 59-64.

Question 1

The purpose of the research was to determine weather Bulimia Nervosa is restricted to the overestimation of one's own body or can this disturbed body image extend to a misinterpretation of ones dynamic body image or motion patterns.

Question 2

The term Bulimia Nervosa in this research refers to an eating disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of binge eating (large consumptions of food) at least twice a week for three months.

Biological motion perception/patterns in this research refer to the participants body movements according their BMI (body mass index). This was measured by connecting forty-one marker locations on major joints and recorded their body movement on a motion capture system with three-dimensional trajectories of all markers.

Mental representation of body dimensions in this research refers to the participants' personal depiction of their own body size. This was assessed by using a digital distortion technique program after taking digital photos of the participents body.

Question 3

This research was cross sectional because two out of the three tests such as the photo distortion and motion distortion were done in one day among the several variables which included the eighty-five females who were tested. The questionnaire was only done in a period of two weeks among those participants.

Question 4

This research was neither double blind nor single blind. The participants as well as the researchers understood and were all aware of the objective in this research.

Question 5

The type of research in this study was a mixture between experimental with a control group and survey/questionnaire.

The experimental group was the thirty female participants that were diagnosed with Bulimia Nervosa and given the series of tests. The independent variables are the photo distortion technique, the motion distortion technique and the questionnaire. The fifty-five female participants with no eating disorder was the control group. There was no placebo in this research because all participants were given the same testes. The dependent variable was the end perspectives the participants had on there own body image and movement after being tested.

The survey/questionnaire was composed in advance and was administered to the participants of both groups. The control group as well as the patents with Bulimia Nervosa answered selected scales from the eating disorder inventory as well as the body image avoidance questionnaire. It was generalized because of it standardized questions from both the BIAQ and EDI.

Subject and Mythology: This research was neither single blind nor double blind. All participants and researchers were clearly aware of the reasoning and method of this study. This cross-sectional research took a total of eighty-five females, thirty of whom were diagnosed with Bulimia Nervosa according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Then fifty-five of whom were healthy with no eating disorder, all with an average age of 24.63 years. The groups were separated into an experimental of thirty Bulimia Nervosa participants, and a control group of fifty-five healthy participants. Both groups were given the same tests.

The first independent variable was the photo distortion technique. This digital distortion technique was used to asses the body image. The researchers took a digital photo of each participant form a frontal perspective while standing in front of a white wall, wearing a standardized tight fitting suite. The pictures were then displayed on the computer screen using a horizontally distortion program. By pressing left or right the participants adjusted the width. They were asked three questions: What do you really look like? What do you feel you look like? And what would you like to look like? After each question they were asked to hit enter and submit their final picture into the system. The researchers could then look at the picture and indicate the value. A value of 100% indicates the original size of the photo, less then 100% is a slimmer size and a value of more then 100% is a thicker body.

Motion Distortion technique was used by making it possible to study gate patterns without interfering with ones body shape. This part of the study was based on point-light displays that generated a vivid perception of the body motion and how it is altered by ones BMI (body mass index). Participants wore black ballet suits while walking on a treadmill at a comfortable speed. Forty-one markers were attached to their bodies on major joints. This would show the walking patter on the computer screen. There are different walking patterns for those with different BMI's. For example some one with a BMI of 250 will not have the same motion or moment with an individual at a BMI of 120. They walked for five minutes while the computer records the data.

Finally the questionnaire assed