Change in unconscious concern with body image following treatment for obesity.

The Secord Homonym Test was used to elicit unconscious concerns about the body in one normal and two obese samples. The first sample of nonobese subjects was used to gather baseline data and also to examine the discriminant validity of the test as a measure of unconscious rather than conscious body concern. In a second sample of obese subjects a significantly greater concern with the body was observed. A third sample of obese subjects was tested before and after weight reduction counseling. Initial measures showed them to have similar levels of concern to the second sample; however, following treatment the levels matched those of the nonobese subjects.