“Body dysmorphic disorder,” by Rachel Zahn, informs about “a psychiatric somatoform disorder resulting in exaggerated preoccupation with an imagined or minor defect in physical appearance that causes significant impairment of social functioning,” known as body dysmorphic disorder (Zahn, Rachel). People who are affected by this disorder are constantly worrying about a certain part of their physical appearance, which ultimately results in “emotional distress, repeated behavior or thoughts in response to preoccupation with perceived flaws, severe disruptions in social functioning, repeated attempts at corrective cosmetic surgery (Zahn, Rachel).” People suffering from this disorder excessively inspect themselves in mirrors and it impairs their school and job performances. They often wish to seek use in cosmetic surgery to correct this “flaw,” yet they continue to be dissatisfied (Zahn, Rachel). In the poem “Barbie Doll”, by Marge Piercy, the young girl seems to be struggling through life with this disorder, and the readers are able to tell through several different signs.

There is no specific cause found for this disorder. However, some suggest a major factor may be the large amount of focus on physical appearance in today’s society. This seems to have been the main role playing into the girl’s experience in the poem. She wanted to be “prettier”, in order to be more accepted in the eyes of others. In the poem it states “she went to and fro apologizing (Piercy 348).” The reader can draw a conclusion that the girl feels so remorseful about her appearance that she makes it a priority to be apologetic towards the people surrounding her. Therefore, she was clearly feeling the pressure from her society to be “pretty.” This would also revolve around having a low self-esteem which is another heartbreaking result of possessing body dysmorphic disorder. 

Body dysmorphic disorder can also be related to some other psychiatric disorders, such as eating disorders. The poem refers to the girl dieting which could be the author’s way of indicating that the girl had also developed an eating disorder. Marge Piercy did not elaborate on how much or in what way the girl dieted, so it is left up to the reader to decide. However, it would be wise to assume that in the poem, “Barbie Doll”, that the diet turned into an eating disorder based upon how anxious the girl felt, and other factors that may have contributed or been a result of her body dysmorphic disorder, one of which may have been depression.

 Major depression is often also associated with the disorder, as it is present in sixty percent of the patients affected by body dysmorphic disorder (Zahn, Rachel). One may suspect that the girl in the poem could also suffer from depression, since the poem ended with her in a casket, and suicide is closely related to major depression. It is quite possible that her depression led her to ultimately commit suicide, because she no longer knew how she was ever going to be able to satisfy herself and her image. Suicide perhaps may not have been a logical decision to her problems if she was not affected by this disorder. However, she was affected by the disorder, and unfortunately, body dysmorphic disorder also affects the patient’s decision making skills. Which could be another influence as to why someone suffering from this disorder would commit suicide. 

Body dysmorphic disorder is found to directly affect your brain. “There is evidence of abnormal white matter connectivity (‘the wiring’) and network patterns in the brains of those with BDD ( Lai Tsz Man, Li Wei, and Jamie Feusner).” People who are going through body dysmorphic disorder cannot help that their brain is registering things wrong. They may even just interpret a house differently than a non-affected person, so the disorder does not only affect their bodies. For instance, studies have shown that they are more likely to mistakenly read a person’s neutral face, they will see someone who appears angry instead. This demonstrates how they are also able to misinterpret how they look, or someone else’s view on how they look based on their expression. There is also limited evidence leading to the fact that there is often a higher amount of white matter in the brain of a person who has body dysmorphic disorder. This can cause interferences in the person’s vision and emotions. Which is why the girl may truly be incapable of seeing herself how she is actually viewed, especially in the remarks of classmates reminding her of her “imperfections.” For instance, a classmate saying “you have a great big nose and fat legs” is certainly going to cloud a girl’s judgement on her appearance (Piercy 348). 

 It is vital to know about body dysmorphic disorder when you are reading the poem because it helps the reader better understand what the girl is going through. If you are able to comprehend better what the disorder is and how it can transform a person’s life, you will be able to read more into the underlying messages, revealing a whole deeper meaning in the poem, “Barbie Doll.” If the reader knows what the disorder is, the poem is able to insinuate that it is possible that what she is trying to “fix” through dieting and exercising may not even be there at all. The girl’s “flaws” may simply be a figment of her imagination. A reader can also become aware that this disorder may be greatly affecting her social life as well as schoolwork, so when peers poke fun it most likely hurts deeper than intended. For instance, the classmate’s snide remarks probably affected her worse than how another person may have taken the negative comment. One may also be able to much more easily suspect that once you learn more about the body dysmorphic disorder, that the girl may also be suffering from an eating disorder and major depression, as mentioned earlier.

 The best way known to help the patients with this disorder is through selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). The idea is that by regulating the neurotransmitters in the patient’s brain the symptoms will be able to be more controlled and possibly reduced. Studies have shown that by upping the intake of serotonin, since it is low in body dysmorphic patients, can greatly improve their condition. Cognitive behavior therapy will also significantly help the person work through their low self-esteem and negative body image. This is a chronic condition so relapse is common ( Lai Tsz Man, Li Wei, and Jamie Feusner). Unfortunately, body dysmorphic disorder is often overlooked or misdiagnosed. Which, in the case of this poem led to dire consequences. However, these treatments still may have been able to successfully save the life of the girl in the poem, if she would have been granted the opportunity to be treated.

This piece continually hints that the girl is suffering from body dysmorphic disorder. One way you could tell is by how hard she took the snide remarks about her body and continued to obsessively believe them. An individual not affected by this disorder would most likely be able to brush off this comment without too much of an impact. However, she began to revolve her whole world around that rude remark, and completely attempted to change her lifestyle. The poem states that she was told to “exercise, diet, smile, and wheedle (Piercy 349).” She took each of these suggestions to heart, even though Piercy claimed earlier in the poem that she was healthy (Piercy 348). In addition, a lot of the things she did throughout the poem pointed towards major aspects of the symptoms of body dysmorphic disorder. The fact that she was continually worried about her weight and diet is hinting towards an eating disorder, while the fact that she took her own life reveals that she was suicidal. This poem, “Barbie Doll,” covers a very serious topic of body dysmorphic disorder and how it is affecting people in today’s society. It also shows how a person may never know what someone is suffering through, so be mindful of what you say to people. One may never know how one of their comments might affect another individual. 
