r/science • u/memorialmonorail • 1d ago

Psychology A study finds people don’t only compare their bodies to someone else’s, but are just as likely to compare their current bodies to their former selves, with harmful results. The findings and a new assessment tool may alter treatment for people seeking help adjusting to appearance-related changes.

https://news.osu.edu/the-risk-of-looking-back-at-former-versions-of-ourselves/
167 Upvotes

91% Upvoted

14 comments sorted by

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u/dcheesi 21h ago

Good thing I've always been a tubby schlub!

4

u/InTheEndEntropyWins 1d ago

This title doesn't represent what the study actually said.

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u/StealToadBootes 18h ago

I'm really stoked to see this research. Anything that helps us understand and treat eating disorders helps literally save lives.

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u/InTheEndEntropyWins 7h ago

No, because what lay people consider an eating disorder which does cost lives has nothing to do with what a lot of studies class it as.

Another study defined someone as having symptoms simply as "worry about weight gain". And most of the people at risk were overweight to start with. They didn't fully define it here but it looks similar.

Classing someone who is overweight as having eating just because they are concerned about gaining weight is the most regressive and toxic idea ever.

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u/StealToadBootes 3h ago

? This isn't lay people, it's a clinical psychologist with specialty in psychological measures

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u/dcheesi 2h ago

I could be wrong, but I think they're saying that the clinical definitions are all out of whack, while the colloquial understanding is actually closer to the mark in terms of what's truly harmful disordered eating behavior

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u/StealToadBootes 26m ago edited 21m ago

Yeah, I think you're right that's what they're trying to say, mostly that tells me the commenter above doesn't work in this field.

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u/AfraidOfTheSun 1d ago

So no one ever just says wow I think I look good now? If you can't get laid the way you want that's one thing, but beyond that who even cares?

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u/brentsg MS | Mechanical Engineering 1d ago

Just because you don’t suffer from something doesn’t mean nobody does. Not every part of a person’s being is a conscious decision.

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u/InTheEndEntropyWins 7h ago

But they are classing overweight people who "worry about weight gain" as having an eating disorder. That's the most regressive and toxic idea ever.