Professor David Castle, Chair of Psychiatry (St Vincent’s Hospital) within the Department of Psychiatry has found that Australian lifestyle may increase body image problems for Asian university students.

Professor Castle has completed a range of studies with secondary and tertiary students and gym goers.

He has found that Prevalence of Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) in Australian university students was significantly higher than that found than in a comparison group living in China.

Overall body image concern, depression and anxiety was generally higher for Asian students living in Australia, followed by local Australian students and then students living in China (when controlling for length of stay, anxiety reduced).

Professor Castle also found that in a study of 100 male gym goers, one in twenty experience BDD.

His studies revealed that male university students have higher rates of BDD than reported in general population studies

Professor Castle presented his results on 26 June 2008 at the University of Melbourne in a public lecture titled “The Relentless Pursuit of a Perfect Body Appearance: Psychiatry and Body Image.”