Encyclopedia of Body Image and Human Appearance

This scholarly work is the most comprehensive existing resource on human physical appearance—how people’s outer physical characteristics and their inner perceptions and attitudes about their own appearance (body image) affect their lives. The encyclopedia’s 117 full-length chapters are composed and edited by the world’s experts from a range of disciplines—social, behavioral, and biomedical sciences. The extensive topical coverage in this valuable reference work includes: (1) Important theories, perspectives, and concepts for understanding body image and appearance; (2) Scientific measurement of body image and physical attributes (anthropometry); (3) The development and determinants of human appearance and body image over the lifespan: (4) How culture and society influences the meanings of human appearance; (5) The psychosocial effects of appearance-altering disease, damage, and visible differences; (6) Appearance self-change and self-management; (7) The prevention and treatment of body image problems, including psychosocial and medical interventions. Chapters are written in a manner that is accessible and informative to a wide audience, including the educated public, college and graduate students, and scientists and clinical practitioners. Each well-organized chapter provides a glossary of definitions of any technical terms and a Further Reading section of recommended sources for continued learning about the topic.

Available online via ScienceDirect or in a limited-release print version.

• The Encyclopedia of Body Image and Human Appearance is a unique reference for a growing area of scientific inquiry
• It brings together in one source the research from experts in a variety of fields examining this psychological and sociological phenomenon
• The breadth of topics covered, and the current fascination with this subject area ensure this reference will be of interest to researchers and a lay audience alike

Congenital and Acquired Appearance-Altering Conditions

Body Image Dysfunctions and Disorders

Historical/Conceptual/Theoretical Perspectives

Appearance and Body Image Measurement

Psychosocial Approaches to Body Image Change and Prevention

Sociocultural Influences

Changing the Body-Surgical, Medical, and Other Interventions

Individual and Cultural Differences

Appearance Self-Change and Self-Management

Personal/Social Meanings and Influences of Variations in Human Appearance

Developmental Perspectives

The Encyclopedia of Body Image and Human Appearance is a novel and timely distillation of information

from disparate fields on the topic of human body image and appearance. Content ranges from clinical

disorders (e.g. eating disorders, body issues in oncology, dermacological conditions, etc.) to social issues

such as the impact of advertising and peer pressure on appearance, making this encyclopedia of interest

to a wide audience of psychology, anthropology, and medical researchers, as well as a potential lay

audience. The editor-in-chief is a well-regarded and media-savvy expert in the field and will bring together

a distinguished editorial board. As a first-of-its-kind reference for the field, this encyclopedia will be a

unique addition to the collections of academic and public libraries alike.

The encyclopedia will be a two-volume work consisting of approximately 120 articles in 1,750 pages.