Why women think they are fat: brain 'thinks body is two thirds bigger than it is'

Even the slimmest women have, on occasion, stood in front of the mirror and asked: “Does this dress make me look fat?” But according to a new study, long-suffering husbands and friends called upon for reassurance may be dealing with more than just irrational anxiety.
By Heidi Blake
15 Jun 2010

Scientists have discovered that the body image a person projects in their own brain is “massively distorted” and can be up to two thirds wider than it is in reality. The brain’s own “body model” is also around a third shorter than the body actually is, according to the study at University College London.

Researchers believe the findings could explain why slim women look in the mirror and see themselves as fat. They may also help explain the cause of some eating disorders. the rest