The Health Psychology lab has developed several assessment tools available for purchase.

Body Image Assessment Tools

The Body Image Assessment (BIA) tools available from PBRC are useful instruments for measuring body image. Several versions of the BIA are available for different populations.

Original Body Image Assessment (BIA)

The BIA was developed as a figural stimulus method for assessing body image disturbances associated with eating disorders in women (1). It measures an individual’s estimate of actual body size and an estimate of the individual’s ideal body size. The discrepancy between current body size and ideal body size is a reliable and validated measure of dissatisfaction of body size (2). The BIA uses silhouettes of nine female figures ranging from very thin to overweight as test stimuli. Instructions for use are included.

Body Image Assessment for Obesity (BIA-O)

The BIA-O is a validated body image assessment tool for obesity (3). It is an expansion of the original BIA and can be used with obese men and women. The BIA-O uses silhouettes for obese men and women ranging from very thin to very obese as test stimuli. Instructions for use and validating publications are included.

Body Image Assessment for Pre-Adolescents (BIA-P)

The BIA-P is a reliable and validated expansion of the original BIA and was developed for use with preadolescent boys and girls (ages 10 – 13) (4).The BIA-P uses four sets of body image silhouettes, ranging from very thin to obese, which correspond to male and female preadolescents. Instructions for use are included.

Body Image Assessment for Children (BIA-C)

The BIA-C is a reliable and validated expansion of the original BIA and was developed for use with male and female children (ages 8 – 12) (4). The BIA-C uses four sets of body image silhouettes, ranging from very thin to obese, which correspond to male and female children. Instructions for use are included.

Food Craving Inventory (FCI) II

The FCI is a reliable and valid self-report measure of general and specific food cravings (5). The tool may be used in research related to overeating and binge eating. Also, it may be useful in treatment studies that measure obesity and/or food cravings. The FCI measures specific food cravings using two subscales: subjective cravings and consumption of particular foods.

Ordering Information

To order any of the above assessment tools, please contact Melanie Spinks via e-mail at melanie.spinks@pbrc.edu

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1 Williamson, D.A., Davis, C.J., Bennett, S.M., Goreczny, A.J., Gleaves, D.H. (1989). Development of a simple procedure for assessing body image disturbances. Behavioral Assessment, 11, 433-446.

2 Williamson, D.A., Gleaves, D.H., Watkins, P.C., Schlundt, D.G. (1993). Validation of self-ideal body size discrepancy as a measure of body dissatisfaction. Journal of  Psychopathology and Behavior Assessment, 15, 57-68.

3 Williamson, D.A., Womble, L.G., Zucker, N.L., Reas, D.L., White, M.A., Blouin, D.C., Greenway, F. (2000). Body image assessment for obesity (BIA-O): Development of a new procedure. International Journal of Obesity, 24, 1326-1332.

4 Veron-Guidry, S. & Williamson, D.A. (1996). Development of a body image assessment procedure for children and preadolescents. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 20(3), 287-293.

5 White, M.A., Whisenhunt, B.L., Williamson, D.A., Greenway, F.L, Netemeyer (2002). Development and validation of the Food-Craving Inventory. Obesity Research, 10(2), 107-114.