《中英對照讀新聞》Strong right-handedness linked to poor body image 嚴重右撇子傾向者的身體意象較差
◎鄭寺音

People who are strongly right-handed might be more vulnerable to distorted body image and eating disorders than those who are more adept at using both hands, a new study suggests.

一份新研究顯示，有強烈右撇子傾向者，與兩手運用都熟練者相比，較可能出現扭曲的身體意象與飲食失調。


Researchers speculate that the unusual connection might be explained by brain activity; people who consistently favor their right hand may be less able to access the body image processing centers in the brain’s right hemisphere.

研究人員推測，這種不尋常的關聯，或許可以腦部活動來解釋；始終喜歡使用右手的人，或許比較不能進入右腦的身體意象處理中心。


Other studies have found that people who are "mixed-handed" may have a stronger connection between the two sides of the brain. Compared with people who are strongly right-handed, they seem to have a larger corpus callosum, the bundle of nerves connecting the brain’s two hemispheres.

其他研究發現，兩手混用者，腦兩側或許有更強烈的連結。與強烈右撇子傾向者相比，他們聯繫兩側大腦的神經束「胼胝體」，似乎較大。


This is relevant to body image and eating disorders because both sides of the brain appear to play a role in a person’s perception of his or her own body.

這與身體意象及飲食失調有關，因為腦的兩側似乎在個人對他或她自己的身體認知上扮演角色。


What’s more, there’s evidence from brain-imaging research that the distorted body image associated with anorexia may be related to dysfunction in the brain’s right hemisphere.

此外，腦部影像研究也有證據顯示，與厭食症相關的扭曲身體意象，或許與右腦官能障礙有關。


新聞辭典


body image︰身體意象，意思大略就是文中的一段話 a person’s perception of his or her own body（個人對他或她自己身體的認知。）


adept︰熟練的、內行的。例句：She is adept at cooking.（她善於烹飪。）