xii, 396 pages : 27 cm Body image is a powerful factor in how people feel about themselves. If one suffers from body image disturbance, it often leads to a host of difficulties, ranging from low self-esteem to bulimia nervosa, anorexia nervosa, and body dysmorphic disorders. Successfully integrating explanations from social, interpersonal, feminist, and behavioral-cognitive psychology, Exacting Beauty is packed with invaluable research, case histories and descriptions, and treatment guidance. Clinicians, practitioners, and researchers will value this book for its rich, up-to-date coverage of how psychology grapples with the troubling relationship between psychological health and body image The scope of body image disturbance: the big picture -- An overview of assessment and treatment strategies -- Sociocultural theory: the media and society -- Social comparison processes -- Appearance-related feedback -- Interpersonal factors: peers, parents, partners, and perfect strangers -- Feminist perspectives -- Sexual abuse and sexual harassment -- Behavioral aspects of disturbance: conditioning, context, and avoidance -- Cognitive processing models -- Future directions: integrative theories, multidimensional assessments, and multicomponent interventions Includes bibliographical references (pages 333-375) and indexes