Body image is a term that has come to represent the “internal” image or representation that we have of our physical appearance (Thompson, Heinberg, Altabe, & Tantleff-Dunn, 1999). It is to be contrasted with the “outer” image or an objective view of attractiveness (i.e., a rating made by a supposedly unbiased observer). Although commonly thought […]
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Articles by Kevin Thompson
J. Kevin Thompson, Ph.D., received his doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Georgia in 1982. He has been on the faculty of the University of South Florida since 1985, and was promoted to Full Professor in 1995. He has published three books on eating disorders, body image and obesity, including "Exacting beauty: Theory, assessment and treatment of body image disturbance" (1999, American Psychological Association, with co-authors Leslie J. Heinberg, Madeline Altabe, and Stacey Tantleff-Dunn). He is co-editor (with Linda Smolak) of "Body image, eating disorders and obesity in adolescence and childhood." He has also published over 60 journal articles and 10 chapters on body image, eating disorders, and obesity.
His current research interests revolve around the measurement of risk for body image problems and eating disturbances with a focus on sociocultural factors and interpersonal experiences (primarily teasing). He recently received a $139,000 grant from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development to develop a measure of media-related influences on body image.
He is married and the father of two children. He is an avid runner and part-time weightlifter, but luckily his own body image is distorted and he "sees" his pecs and triceps as essentially unchanged from his days as a high school fullback and defensive end.