Morphological changes and body representation: A study of the link between weight cycling and body schema disturbances

A drastic change in one body part can result in body misestimations and consequences for motor behaviors. One hypothesis for this occurrence is a lack of body schema updating due to the rapid morphological change. However, in anorexia nervosa, a condition with weight loss and a global body change, the oversized body schema can instead be explained by the individual’s negative attitudes toward the body (body image). The objective of this study was to determine the impact of global body changes on the body schema due to weight variations outside the context of anorexia nervosa. To this end, we compared the body schema performances of 37 participants with frequent weight variations over the past 5 years (weight cycling) with those of 37 participants with stable weight over the same period (control) on a task specifically design to precisely assess the tactile dimension of the body schema (SKIN) and over different body parts. We found that people with weight cycling had more body schema distortions, with a mean oversized body surface on all body parts tested, compared with those of the control group. The body schema was affected for the body parts that were more sensitive to dissatisfaction (lower back [love handles], hip, thigh, belly), but there was no impact of pathological eating behaviors or actual weight. These results illustrate for the first time the direct negative impact of global body changes on the body schema due to weight variations. This study suggests that vigilance is needed in treating patients who have undergone significant morphological modifications, such as occurs in eating disorders, the postpartum period, and after bariatric or any reconstructive surgery.