Cognitive Behavioral TherapyCognitive behavioral therapy for body image has been shown to be an effective way to improve body dissatisfaction. It has been applied to people with eating disorders, obesity, body dysmorphia and normal weight, all of whom harbor negative feelings towards their bodies. Targeting body image for specific treatment is extremely important because negative feelings about one's body are often a major cause of eating disorders. What is body image? Body image can be defined as the image one has in one's mind of the appearance (i.e. size and shape) of one's body, and the attitude one adopts towards these characteristics of one's body. There are therefore two components of body image: the perceptual part, or the way we see our own body, and the attitudinal part, or how we feel about our perceived body appearance (Gardner, 1996). . Negative body image can take the form of a mild feeling of unattractiveness or an extreme obsession with physical appearance that impairs normal functioning (Rosen, 1995). What do Americans think about their bodies? Psychology Today's 1997 body image survey found that Americans have more dissatisfaction with their bodies than ever before. Fifty-six percent of women surveyed say they are dissatisfied with their appearance in general. The main problems women complained about were their abdomen (71 percent), weight (66 percent), hips (60 percent) and muscle tone (58 percent). Many men were also dissatisfied with their overall appearance, almost 43 percent. However, body dissatisfaction in men and women generally means two different things. More men than women wanted to gain weight in order to feel satisfied with their body (Ga...... middle of article......4.Rosen, JC, (1995). Assessment and body image processing in Controlled Studies of Eating Disorders. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 20, 331-343. Rosen, JC, Orosan, P. and Reiter, J., (1995). . Rosen, J.C., Reiter, J. and Orosan, P., (1995). Cognitive-behavioral body image therapy for body dysmorphic disorder, Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 63, 263-269. JC, Saltzberg, E. and Srebnik, D., (1989). Cognitive-behavioral therapy for negative body image, 20, 393-404. , A., Shah, F., Willson, R. and Walburn, J., (1996). Body dysmorphic disorder: a cognitive-behavioral model and a pilot randomized controlled behavioral trial.., 34, 717-729.