Weight suppression is a risk factor for eating disorders: Implications for etiology, maintenance, and treatment

COVID-19 has already established direct or indirect effect on the lives of everyone. One of its many consequences is exacerbation of eating disorders´ (ED) triggers. Numerous risk factors for ED are enhanced during pandemic – anxiety, fear, depressed mood. Distance learning or working may result in loss of daily-life routine and feeling of being overwhelmed with duties. Due to forced isolation people are more exposed to social media pressure. Additionally, awareness of limitations of physical activity can develop fear of gaining the weight. These are typical symptoms of Anorexia Nervosa, a disease with the highest mortality rate among psychiatric disorders. Frustration, tedium and lack of external distractors can lead to inappropriate food-related coping style. Especially during the first wave of the pandemic, society was cautious about fresh food supplies and therefore many decided to stock up with processed, unhealthy food. Aggregation of stressors (e.g., worries about health, financial problems, loneliness) may promote binge eating.

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Weight suppression increases odds for future onset of anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and purging disorder, but not binge eating disorder

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition ◽

10.1093/ajcn/nqaa146 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 112 (4) ◽

pp. 941-947 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Eric Stice ◽

Paul Rohde ◽

Heather Shaw ◽

Chris Desjardins

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Eating Disorders ◽

Anorexia Nervosa ◽

Eating Disorder ◽

Bulimia Nervosa ◽

Binge Eating ◽

Binge Eating Disorder ◽

Purging Disorder ◽

Weight Suppression ◽

Current Weight

ABSTRACT Background Eating disorders affect 13% of females and contribute to functional impairment and mortality, but few studies have identified risk factors that prospectively correlate with future onset of anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), binge eating disorder (BED), and purging disorder (PD). Identifying risk factors specific to each eating disorder is critical for advancing etiologic knowledge and designing effective prevention programs. Objectives This study examined whether weight suppression (the difference between a person's highest past weight at their adult height and their current weight) correlates with future onset of AN, BN, BED, and PD. Methods Data from 1165 young women with body image concerns (mean ± SD age: 21.9 ± 6.4 y) who completed annual diagnostic interviews over a 3-y follow-up period were examined. Logistic regression models evaluated the relation of baseline weight suppression to onset risk of each eating disorder controlling for age, dietary restraint, and intervention condition. Results Elevated weight suppression predicted future onset of AN (OR: 1.36; 95% CI: 1.03, 1.80), BN (OR: 1.34; 95% CI: 1.11, 1.62), PD (OR: 1.46; 95% CI: 1.23, 1.74), and any eating disorder (OR: 1.32; 95% CI: 1.12, 1.56), but not BED (OR: 1.10; 95% CI: 0.89, 1.37). Highest past weight correlated with future onset of BN and PD but not onset of AN, BED, or any eating disorder, and baseline current weight was inversely related to future AN onset only, implying that women with the largest difference between their highest past weight and current weight are at greatest risk of eating disorders. Conclusions The results provide novel evidence that weight suppression correlates with future onset of eating disorders characterized by dietary restriction or compensatory weight control behaviors and suggest weight-suppressed women constitute an important risk group to target with selective prevention programs. These trials were registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01126918 and NCT01949649.

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Gender Differences in Risk Factors for Stice’s Bulimia in a Non-Clinical Sample

The Spanish Journal of Psychology ◽

10.1017/sjp.2015.58 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 18 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Pablo Ruisoto ◽

Raúl Cacho ◽

José J. López-Goñi ◽

Eulogio Real Deus ◽

Silvia Vaca ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Gender Differences ◽

Eating Disorders ◽

Risk Factor ◽

Body Dissatisfaction ◽

Dietary Restraint ◽

Social Pressure ◽

Equation Modeling ◽

Main Risk Factor ◽

Increased Risk

AbstractSome females are at an increased risk of developing bulimia. However, etiological factors and their interplay remain controversial. The present study analyzed Sticefe Model for eating disorders in a non-clinical population by examining gender differences with respect to the following risk factors: body mass index (BMI), body dissatisfaction, perceived social pressure to be thin, body-thin internalization, and dieting behavior. A sample of 162 American college students (64 males and 91 females) was surveyed, and validated scales were used. The Sticey model was tested using Structural Equation Modeling. Our results supported Stice r Dual Pathway Model of bulimic pathology for females but not for males. Females reported significantly higher body dissatisfaction, perceived pressure to be thin and weight-loss oriented behaviors than males (p < .05), but no gender differences were found in their degree of body thin internalization (p > .05), a key predictor of body dissatisfaction (r = .33; p < .01). Participants with higher BMI reported greater social pressure to be thin than those with lower BMI (p < .05). However, females engaged in dietary restraint, the main risk factor for eating disorders, regardless of their BMI (p > .05) although their BMI was significantly lower than males (d = 0,51). The results of this study fail to support the role of BMI as a predictor of dietary restraint in females, the main risk factor of eating disorders. Males may abstain from dietary restraint to gain muscular volume and in turn increase their BMI. Implications are discussed.

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