Female beauticians may be a high risk group for developing eating disorders

Work environment, pressure to be fashionable, and the unattainable images of female perfection promoted in modern commercial culture and the mass media may influence how women evaluate their weight. Beauticians' profession places particular emphasis on beauty and it might put them at greater risk of dissatisfaction with their weight and body shape. However, there has been relatively little attention given to the issue of body perception and intentional weight loss among them. This study compared self-perceived and actual weight categories and the percentage of subjects with intentional weight loss among beauticians and non-beauticians in Taiwan. The results showed that a higher percentage of beauticians than non-beauticians overestimated their weight category. Beauticians were more dissatisfied with their body weight, more desirous to be in the underweight category, and more frequently endeavored to lose weight by dieting, taking weight-loss medicines, and self-induced vomiting when compared with non-beauticians. These practices and misconceptions are all strongly associated with the development of eating disorders