This scholarly work is the most comprehensive existing resource on human physical appearance--how people's outer physical characteristics and their inner perceptions and attitudes about their own appearance (body image) affect their lives. The encyclopedia's 117 full-length chapters are composed and edited by the world's experts from a range of disciplines--social, behavioral, and biomedical sciences. The extensive topical coverage in this valuable reference work includes: (1) Important theories, perspectives, and concepts for understanding body image and appearance; (2) Scientific...