Vocal arousal: a physiological correlate of body distress in women with overweight and obesity
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ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Vocal arousal: a physiological correlate of body distress in women with overweight and obesity Julia Baur1 · Kerstin Krohmer1 · Eva Naumann1 · Brunna Tuschen‑Caffier2 · Jennifer Svaldi1 Received: 22 February 2019 / Accepted: 1 July 2019 © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2019
Abstract Purpose Numerous studies highlight the relevance of body image in the development and maintenance of overweight and obesity mostly using self-reported data. Given the importance of physiological assessment methods, the present study aimed at investigating vocally encoded emotional arousal as a correlate of body distress in women with overweight and obesity. Methods Cognitions of women with overweight and obesity (OW; n = 22) as well as normal weight controls (NW; n = 22) were assessed by means of a thought-sampling procedure during a mirror exposure and a control condition. Fundamental frequency (f0) as a marker of vocally encoded emotional arousal as well as verbalized body-related cognitions were analyzed during this experimental task. Results A stronger increase in f0 between the control and the mirror exposure condition was found in OW compared to NW. Furthermore, there were significant positive correlations between vocally encoded emotional arousal and various measures of body image. Conclusion The findings support the utility of vocally encoded emotional arousal as an objective physiological correlate of the evaluative dimension of body image in women with overweight and obesity. Level of evidence Level I, experimental study. Keywords Obesity · Body image · Mirror exposure · Physiological arousal · Fundamental frequency
Introduction Body image is a multi-dimensional construct referring to a person’s perceptions, attitudes and behaviors regarding one’s own body and appearance [1]. From a theoretical perspective, this construct has mostly been discussed in the context of eating disorders [2]. However, numerous studies also emphasize the relevance of body image in the etiology of overweight and obesity. As such, several studies Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-019-00744-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. * Jennifer Svaldi jennifer.svaldi@uni‑tuebingen.de 1
Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Tuebingen, Schleichstraße 4, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Freiburg, Engelbergerstraße 41, 79106 Freiburg, Germany
2
have reported increased levels of the evaluative dimension of body image (e.g., overvaluation of shape and weight, body dissatisfaction) in individuals with overweight and obesity relative to normal weight persons [3, 4]. Besides being linked to reduced emotional well-being [5], body dissatisfaction has proven its influence on dysfunctional eating behaviors like overeating and unhealthy weight control behaviors [6, 7]. In line with these results, changes in body dissatisfaction during weight los
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