Abstract
The purpose of this review was to propose the possibilities of understanding and cognitive-behavioral intervention for body dissatisfaction in healthy individuals. No agreement was reached on a definition of body dissatisfaction, and there were few intervention studies based on the research findings in the body dissatisfaction mechanism. In addition, little emphasis was placed on the maintenance and promotion of health and the prevention of distress or mental disorders in healthy individuals. In this review, the authors overviewed the literature inside and outside of Japan on the issues of the definition, the mechanism of the development and maintenance, and cognitive-behavioral intervention for body dissatisfaction, and proposed the future possibilities of understanding and cognitive-behavioral intervention for body dissatisfaction in healthy individuals. The findings suggest that a new intervention should focus on one's psychological investment in his or her physical appearance and that it is desirable to reduce negative emotions about one's appearance even though negative evaluations of his or her appearance remain unchanged. It is needed to develop an intervention that helps individuals accept the imperfections of their body while increasing their awareness of various aspects of their body and life.
