Body Dissatisfaction in Women With Eating Disorders: Relationship to Early Separation Anxiety and Insecure Attachment

Abstract Research on eating disorders (ED) has shown in patients a prevalence of insecure attachment working models (IWMs). Nevertheless, the issue of a prevalence, in patients, of high anxiety IWMs (HAIWMs) has rarely been addressed. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence in ED patients of high anxiety IWMs and their transmission by parents. The Separation Anxiety Test was administered to 55 patients with an ED, a control sample (n = 80), their mothers and fathers. The two groups differed significantly, with a prevalence of HAIWMs in the patients and their parents compared to the controls; in ED no significant difference appeared in mother-patient versus father-patient matching for HAIWMs. The implication is that patients with an ED might benefit more from individual attachment-based therapy and/or a family therapy than from other types of psychotherapeutic approaches.

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Early separation anxiety and adult attachment style in women with eating disorders

British Journal of Clinical Psychology ◽

10.1348/014466504x20053 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 44 (1) ◽

pp. 89-97 ◽

Cited By ~ 60

Author(s):

Alfonso Troisi ◽

Paola Massaroni ◽

Massimo Cuzzolaro

Keyword(s):

Eating Disorders ◽

Attachment Style ◽

Adult Attachment ◽

Separation Anxiety ◽

Early Separation ◽

Adult Attachment Style

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Improving Body Satisfaction

European Psychologist ◽

10.1027/1016-9040/a000206 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 20 (1) ◽

pp. 62-71 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Carolien Martijn ◽

Jessica M. Alleva ◽

Anita Jansen

Keyword(s):

Eating Disorders ◽

Body Dissatisfaction ◽

Automatic System ◽

Body Satisfaction ◽

Western Society ◽

Related Information ◽

Current Article ◽

Women And Girls

Feelings of body dissatisfaction are common in Western society, especially in women and girls. More than innocent discontent, body dissatisfaction can have serious consequences such as depression and eating disorders. The current article discusses the nature of body dissatisfaction, how it develops and how it is currently being treated. We also discuss novel strategies to increase body satisfaction that work on the automatic system (e.g., by retraining attentional and conditioning processes), since recent research suggests that appearance-related information is processed automatically. We suggest that extant methods should be combined with these novel strategies, in order to optimally improve body dissatisfaction and to prevent its detrimental consequences.

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Celebrity influence on body image and eating disorders: A review

Journal of Health Psychology ◽

10.1177/1359105320988312 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 135910532098831

Author(s):

Zoe Brown ◽

Marika Tiggemann

Keyword(s):

Eating Disorders ◽

Body Image ◽

Big Data ◽

Body Dissatisfaction ◽

Disordered Eating ◽

Research Articles ◽

Inclusion Criteria ◽

Media Attention ◽

Research Findings ◽

Appearance Comparison

Celebrities are well-known individuals who receive extensive public and media attention. There is an increasing body of research on the effect of celebrities on body dissatisfaction and disordered eating. Yet, there has been no synthesis of the research findings. A systematic search for research articles on celebrities and body image or eating disorders resulted in 36 studies meeting inclusion criteria. Overall, the qualitative, correlational, big data, and experimental methodologies used in these studies demonstrated that exposure to celebrity images, appearance comparison, and celebrity worship are associated with maladaptive consequences for individuals’ body image.

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Restrained eating in Lebanese adolescents: scale validation and correlates

BMC Pediatrics ◽

10.1186/s12887-021-02728-7 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Tracy Boulos Nakhoul ◽

Anthony Mina ◽

Michel Soufia ◽

Sahar Obeid ◽

Souheil Hallit

Keyword(s):

Body Mass Index ◽

Eating Disorders ◽

Eating Disorder ◽

Body Dissatisfaction ◽

Body Mass ◽

Rating Scale ◽

Activity Index ◽

Arab Countries ◽

Restrained Eating ◽

Distress Scale

Abstract Background Restrained eating disorder is prevalent worldwide across both ethnic and different cultural groups, and most importantly within the adolescent population. Additionally, comorbidities of restrained eating present a large burden on both physical and mental health of individuals. Moreover, literature is relatively scarce in Arab countries regarding eating disorders, let alone restrained eating, and among adolescent populations; hence, the aim of this study was to (1) validate the Dutch Restrained Eating Scale in a sample of Lebanese adolescents and (2) assess factors correlated with restrained eating (RE), while taking body dissatisfaction as a moderator between body mass index (BMI) and RE. Methods This cross-sectional study, conducted between May and June 2020 during the lockdown period imposed by the Lebanese government, included 614 adolescents aged between 15 and 18 years from all Lebanese governorates (mean age of 16.66 ± 1.01 years). The scales used were: Dutch Restrained Eating Scale, body dissatisfaction subscale of the Eating Disorder Inventory-Second version, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Beirut Distress Scale (for psychological distress), Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale and Patient Health Questionnaire (for depression). Results The factor analysis yielded a one-factor solution with Eigen values > 1 (variance explained = 59.65 %; αCronbach = 0.924). Female gender (B = 0.19), higher BMI (B = 0.49), higher physical activity index (B = 0.17), following a diet to lose weight (B = 0.26), starving oneself to lose weight (B = 0.13), more body dissatisfaction (B = 1.09), and higher stress (B = 0.18) were significantly associated with more RE, whereas taking medications to lose weight (B=-0.10) was significantly associated with less RE. The interaction body mass index (BMI) by body dissatisfaction was significantly associated with RE; in the group with low BMI, higher body dissatisfaction was significantly associated with more RE. Conclusions Our study showed that the Dutch Restrained Eating scale is an adapted and validated tool to be used among Lebanese adolescents and revealed factors associated with restrained eating in this population. Since restrained eating has been associated with many clinically-diagnosed eating disorders, the results of this study might serve as a first step towards the development of prevention strategies targeted towards promoting a healthy lifestyle in Lebanese adolescents.

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Reported Early Separation Anxiety Symptoms in Patients with Panic and Generalised Anxiety Disorders

Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry ◽

10.3109/00048679309075807 ◽

1993 ◽

Vol 27 (3) ◽

pp. 489-494 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

Derrick Silove ◽

Vijaya Manicavasagar ◽

Dianne O'connell ◽

Alex Blaszczynski

Keyword(s):

Risk Factor ◽

Anxiety Disorder ◽

Panic Disorder ◽

Attachment Theory ◽

Anxiety Symptom ◽

Separation Anxiety ◽

Empirical Studies ◽

Generalised Anxiety Disorder ◽

Early Separation ◽

And Control

Attachment theory has proposed that early separation anxiety is a risk factor for adult anxiety disorder, with the recent focus being particularly on panic disorder. The results of empirical studies examining this link are, however, contradictory, possibly because of inconsistencies across studies in measuring memories of early separation anxiety. In the present study, a psychometrically sound measure, the Separation Anxiety Symptom Inventory (SASI) was used to compare memories of such early symptoms in panic disorder (including those with mild phobic-avoidance), generalised anxiety disorder and control subjects. Anxiety patients as a group returned higher SASI scores (p<0.001) with a non-significant trend for panic disorder patients to score higher than those with generalised anxiety. These results suggest that early separation anxiety may be a harbinger of adult anxiety and that risk of panic disorder may be higher in the most severely affected youngsters. As a risk factor, early separation anxiety does not however appear to be uniquely related to adult panic disorder.

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Undue influence of weight and shape: is it distinct from body dissatisfaction and concern about weight and shape?

Psychological Medicine ◽

10.1017/s0033291710001066 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 41 (4) ◽

pp. 819-828 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

T. D. Wade ◽

G. Zhu ◽

N. G. Martin

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Eating Disorders ◽

Body Dissatisfaction ◽

Environmental Risk ◽

Self Esteem ◽

Structured Interview ◽

Environmental Risk Factors ◽

Self Report ◽

Undue Influence ◽

Diagnostic Criterion

BackgroundThree cognitive constructs are risk factors for eating disorders: undue influence of weight and shape, concern about weight and shape, and body dissatisfaction (BD). Undue influence, a diagnostic criterion for eating disorders, is postulated to be closely associated with self-esteem whereas BD is postulated to be closely associated with body mass index (BMI). We understand less about the relationships with concern about weight and shape. The aim of the current investigation was examine the degree of overlap across these five phenotypes in terms of latent genetic and environmental risk factors in order to draw some conclusions about the similarities and differences across the three cognitive variables.MethodA sample of female Australian twins (n=1056, including 348 complete pairs), mean age 35 years (s.d.=2.11, range 28–40), completed a semi-structured interview about eating pathology and self-report questionnaires. An independent pathways model was used to investigate the overlap of genetic and environmental risk factors for the five phenotypes.ResultsIn terms of variance that was not shared with other phenotypes, self-esteem emerged as being separate, with 100% of its variance unshared with the other phenotypes, followed by undue influence (51%) and then concern (34%), BD (28%) and BMI (32%).ConclusionsIn terms of shared genetic risk, undue influence and concern were more closely related than BD, whereas BMI and BD were found to share common sources of risk. With respect to environmental risk factors, concern, BMI and BD were more closely related to each other than to undue influence.

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Is There Any Relationship Between Body Image Perception, Eating Disorders, and Muscle Dysmorphic Disorders in Male Bodybuilders?

American Journal of Men s Health ◽

10.1177/1557988318786868 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 12 (5) ◽

pp. 1746-1758 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Aslı Devrim ◽

Pelin Bilgic ◽

Nobuko Hongu

Keyword(s):

Eating Disorders ◽

Body Image ◽

Body Dissatisfaction ◽

Body Shape ◽

Muscle Dysmorphia ◽

Eating Attitude ◽

Male Body ◽

Eating Attitude Test ◽

Attitude Test ◽

The Relationship

Bodybuilding has increasingly become popular between males since male body shape has become a subject of interest in the last decades. Bodybuilders have desired to gain more muscle and paid attention to their body shape. Based on this purpose, they have string rules that include restrictive eating and excessive exercise program. Recent research has demonstrated that desiring more muscular body shape exhibits eating behavior problems and body dissatisfaction issues in bodybuilders. Limited research exists on the relationship between body dissatisfaction and eating disorders in male bodybuilders. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between body image disturbance and eating disorders in 120 male bodybuilders. The Eating Attitude Test (EAT-40) was used to determine eating disorders, the Muscle Dysmorphia Disorder Inventory was used to determine bigorexia symptoms, and Bodybuilder Image Grid-Original (BIG O) and Scaled (BIG S) forms were used to detect the factors associated with body dissatisfaction. There was a positive relationship between Eating Attitude Test and Muscle Dysmorphia Disorder Inventory total scores. Eating Attitude Test was positively correlated with both fat and muscle dissatisfaction. Our results indicated that eating disorder psychopathology is positively related to body dissatisfaction and body dysmorphic disorders in male bodybuilders.

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Parental Acceptance–Rejection and Adult Separation Anxiety: The Mediation of Adult Attachment Insecurity

SAGE Open ◽

10.1177/2158244019885138 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (4) ◽

pp. 215824401988513

Author(s):

Hatice Deveci Şirin

Keyword(s):

Structural Equation ◽

Separation Anxiety ◽

Personal Information ◽

Separation Anxiety Disorder ◽

Insecure Attachment ◽

Parental Acceptance ◽

Childhood Experiences ◽

Retrospective Perceptions ◽

The Relationship ◽

Attachment Dimensions

Adult separation anxiety disorder (ASAD) is classified under anxiety disorders in Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.; DSM- 5). However, the reasons for ASAD are uncertain. The relationship between ASAD and childhood experiences is one of the frequently debated issues. The purpose of this study was to develop a model that would examine the mediating roles of insecure attachment dimensions—avoidance and anxiety—in the relationship between adults’ retrospective perceptions of parental acceptance–rejection in childhood and separation anxiety. A total of 1,534 participants completed Parental Acceptance–Rejection Questionnaire, Experiences in Close Relationships–Revised, Adult Separation Anxiety Questionnaire, and personal information form. The results of the structural equation model indicated that insecure attachment dimensions—avoidance and anxiety variables—fully mediated the relationship between perceived parental acceptance–rejection and separation anxiety. These findings shed new light on the relationship between adults’ retrospective perceptions of childhood experiences and adult separation anxiety.

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