Today’s society has a heightened awareness for eating disorders, such as anorexia and bulimia, but another problem facing many young women is a disease called Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD). BDD is when a person is fixated with the idea of an imagined defect in appearance, often to the point that it disrupts functioning in life.
It can range from believing that everybody is staring at their “gigantic” nose, or maybe that they are being harshly judged because of their “freakishly square” head. No matter how many times you tell your friend that she looks fine, she still may not believe you.
Most often these defects are not real, only imagined by the person with BDD, however it can cause serious consequences. A person may stop participating in social aspects of life in order to avoid people. Most attempt to “fix” these defects with plastic surgery, but since these problem are in their heads, plastic surgery typically does not relieve the anxiety.
One famous case of BDD is Michael Jackson. While he was never formally diagnosed, all of his actions followed the routine of this disease. He underwent heavy amounts of plastic surgery yet his anxiety about his looks did not get better. He was obsessed with how he looked to the point that his normal functioning was disrupted.
If you have a friend who won’t stop obsessing over a body problem, such as her lip size, and begins to stop interacting with others because of it, she could have BDD. The best way to help your friend is to get her to a certified therapist. By getting your friend the help she needs, she can make peace with her body and regain control of her life.
Source: http://kidshealth.org