This is a VR application for the Treatment of Body Image Distortions in Eating Disorders: VIRTUAL & BODY 2000

Body Image in Eating Disorders:

This is a CD-ROM of VR technology that allows the user to model her own body in 3D. In this way, the user is able to create the subjective image they have of themselves, the image they would like to have, etc. The system shows and corrects the distortions that persons with body image problems use to make, such as in the case of eating disordered patients (anorexia and bulimia). Eating Disorders are defined by severe disturbances in eating behavior. There are three main disorders:

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1. Anorexia Nervosa.

Persons having this disorder refuse to maintain a minimum body weight and want to have a extremely low weight according to their age, height, and body constitution.

They stop eating, start on different diets, and, in spite of being very thin, keep trying losing weight. They are so much afraid of getting fat that food and weight become their major concern.

In order to achieve their desired weight, these persons may restrict their diets, vomit, use laxatives or diuretics, and make exercise excessively. All these provoke severe disturbances in their body functioning leading to severe consequences, both psychological and physiological (such as amenorrhea or absence of menstruation). In very severe cases, anorexia could lead to the person's death. Anorexia nervosa affects to 1% of the population (being these figure higher in adolescent populations), and mainly women. The most frequent ages of onset are between 14 and 18.

2. Bulimia Nervosa:

The core aspect of this disorder is the presence of binge-eating episodes, which is defined by two main characteristics:

• A fast intake of a large amount of food in a short period of time.
  
  
• The person has the feeling of having lost control over food (they fell they cannot stop eating or cannot control what and how much they are eating). Binge eating episodes are followed by feeling of guilt, shame, failure, anxiety, and an uncomfortable sensation of being full. As the person is afraid of getting fat, they try to prevent it by provoking their vomit, using laxatives or diuretics or not eating for several days. These compensation behaviors produce severe consequences, both psychological and physiological.

These binge episodes are experienced by the person as extremely unpleasant, something they cannot control, something that dominates all their experiences, and that makes them feel totally helpless. Bulimia nervosa affects 1%-3% of population, mainly women. The most frequent ages for its onset are between 18 and 22 years. In short, persons affected by these disorders have an anomalous behavior as a consequence of their problems with their body image.