Scientists at the University of California in Los Angeles have revealed that people with Body Dysmorphic Disorder have abnormal network wiring patterns across their entire brain including abnormal connections between regions of the brain which process visual and emotional stimulation.

Those suffering with BDD perceive themselves to be disfigured, ugly or fat, even though they look normal to those around them. Dr Jamie Feusner and his team studied performed brain scans on 30 adults; 14 with BDD and 16 without. Feusner said: “We found a strong [link] between low efficiency of connections across the whole brain and the severity of body dysmorphic disorder. The less efficient the patient’s brain connections, the worse the symptoms, particularly for compulsive behaviours, such as checking mirrors.”