Relationships Among Childhood Maltreatment, Limbic System Dysfunction, and Eating Disorders in College Women

2020 ◽  
pp. 088626052091259
Author(s):  
Andrea E. Mercurio ◽  
Fang Hong ◽  
Carolyn Amir ◽  
Amanda R. Tarullo ◽  
Anna Samkavitz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Eating Disorders ◽  
Eating Disorder ◽  
College Women ◽  
Limbic System ◽  
Indirect Effect ◽  
Childhood Maltreatment ◽  
Eating Pathology ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Eating Disorder Symptoms

The mechanisms linking childhood maltreatment and eating pathology are not fully understood. We examined the mediating role of limbic system dysfunction in the relationships between three forms of childhood maltreatment (parental psychological maltreatment, parental physical maltreatment, and parental emotional neglect) and eating disorder symptoms. A convenience sample of college women ( N = 246, M age = 19.62, SD = 2.41) completed measures of maltreatment (Parent-Child Conflict Tactics Scales and the Parental Bonding Instrument), limbic system dysfunction (Limbic System Questionnaire), and eating pathology (Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire). We hypothesized that there would be an indirect effect of each type of childhood maltreatment on eating disorder symptoms via limbic system irritability. Results generally supported the hypotheses. Examination of the individual paths that defined the indirect effect indicated that higher reported childhood maltreatment was associated with greater limbic irritability symptoms, and higher limbic irritability symptomatology was related to higher total eating disorder scores. There were no significant direct effects for any of the proposed models. Findings are in line with research supporting the role of limbic system dysfunction as a possible pathway in the maltreatment-eating disorder link. Given that limbic system dysfunction may underlie behavioral symptoms of eating disorders, efforts targeting limbic system dysfunction associated with child maltreatment might best be undertaken at an early developmental stage, although interventions for college women struggling with eating disorders are also crucial.

Coping with childhood maltreatment: Avoidance and eating disorder symptoms

2020 ◽  
pp. 135910532093706
Author(s):  
Diane L Rosenbaum ◽  
Kamila S White ◽  
Tiffany M Artime
Keyword(s):  
Eating Disorder ◽  
Indirect Effect ◽  
Childhood Maltreatment ◽  
Additive Effect ◽  
Avoidant Coping ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Adaptive Coping ◽  
Eating Disorder Symptoms ◽  
Coping Patterns

Childhood maltreatment is associated with eating disorder symptoms; however, the nature of this association is unclear. We found those who experienced childhood maltreatment had higher avoidant coping and eating disorder symptoms. We also found an additive effect for maltreatment, such that with more types of maltreatment experienced, avoidant coping and eating disorder symptoms were greater. We also found evidence of an indirect effect such that childhood maltreatment was related to eating disorder symptoms through avoidant coping. Future research is needed to better understand factors that may promote development of adaptive coping patterns and prevention of eating disorder symptoms.

Eating Disorders: Relations with Inconsistent Discipline, Anxiety, and Drinking among College Women

2002 ◽  
Vol 91 (1) ◽  
pp. 289-298 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Thomson Ross ◽  
Jessica L. Gill
Keyword(s):  
Eating Disorders ◽  
Eating Disorder ◽  
College Women ◽  
Inconsistent Parenting ◽  
Eating Disorder Symptoms ◽  
Retrospective Reports ◽  
Inconsistent Discipline ◽  
First Time ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Time Eating

Since as many as 20% of all college women report symptoms of eating disorders, the present study examined the relationship between self-reported eating disorder symptoms, anxiety, drinking, and retrospective reports of inconsistent parenting during childhood. 101 college women, 85% Euro-Americans of mean age 19 yr., completed an anonymous survey including questions from the Eating Disorder Index-1, the Retrospective Family Unpredictability Scale, the Trait Anxiety Scale, and measures of drinking in the previous month. Eating disorder symptoms correlated with self-reported drinking quantity, anxiety, and retrospective ratings of inconsistent discipline. This appears to be the first time eating disorder symptoms have been associated with inconsistent discipline. Implications for etiology and treatment of eating disorders are discussed.

Assessing Prevalence of Eating Disorders and Eating Disorder Symptoms Among Lightweight and Open Weight Collegiate Rowers

2013 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 198-214 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer I. Gapin ◽  
Brianna Kearns
Keyword(s):  
Eating Disorders ◽  
Eating Disorder ◽  
Eating Behaviors ◽  
Eating Pathology ◽  
Drive For Thinness ◽  
Prevalence Rates ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Eating Disorder Symptoms ◽  
Dsm Iv ◽  
Ongoing Monitoring

Athletes in sports with weight requirements may be especially vulnerable to eating disorders (EDs), yet there is limited research regarding collegiate rowers. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine prevalence rates of ED symptoms in 133 male and female competitive collegiate rowers in lightweight and open weight programs. This is the first study to examine eating pathology in rowers using a diagnostic tool based on DSM-IV criteria, the Q-EDD; and examining ED symptoms using the EDI-2 (drive for thinness [DT] and body dissatisfaction [BD]). The majority of rowers were classified as symptomatic (n = 65; 49%) or clinical (n = 5; 4%). Lightweight rowers had a significantly higher prevalence of eating pathology and a significantly greater DT and BD than open weight rowers. Males had considerably higher prevalence of eating pathology than females, but females had significantly greater BD. Ongoing monitoring of rowers’ eating behaviors is highly encouraged. Implications for counseling and prevention are discussed.

scholarly journals The mediating role of mentalizing between attachment and eating disorders

2018 ◽  
Vol 82 (3) ◽  
pp. 202-223 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iratxe Redondo ◽  
Patrick Luyten
Keyword(s):  
Eating Disorders ◽  
Eating Disorder ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Insecure Attachment ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Mediation Analyses ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
Eating Disorder Symptoms ◽  
The Relationship

The objective of the study was to investigate whether mindfulness mediated the relationship between attachment and eating disorders in a sample of 323 female university students and 38 anorexic inpatients using structural equation modeling. All insecure attachment subscales were positively related to eating disorder symptoms and negatively to mindfulness. Furthermore, mindfulness scores were negatively associated with eating disorder symptoms. Mediation analyses showed that the relationship between all the insecure attachment subscales and eating disorders was partially mediated by the mindfulness effects. These results are in line with Bateman and Fonagy's (2004a, 2004b) theory that implies a mediating role of mindfulness used as a proxy for mentalizing between attachment and psychopathology. Further research is needed, however, to replicate these findings.

Dieting and the Eating Disorders

2010 ◽  
pp. 147-179
Author(s):  
Eric Stice ◽  
Katherine Presnell
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Eating Disorders ◽  
Weight Loss ◽  
Risk Factor ◽  
Eating Disorder ◽  
Dietary Restraint ◽  
Weight Maintenance ◽  
Eating Pathology ◽  
Eating Disorder Symptoms ◽  
Causal Risk Factor

This chapter reviews theory and empirical evidence linking dietary restraint to eating pathology. Although prospective studies suggest that dieting increases risk for future onset of eating pathology, experiments suggest that assignment to weight loss and weight maintenance diets reduces eating disorder symptoms. Because these two findings have opposing public health implications, this chapter also considers various explanations for these inconsistent findings. Our analysis suggests that dieting is not a causal risk factor for bulimic pathology, but rather may be a proxy risk factor. We posit that a tendency towards overeating may lead to both dieting and bulimic pathology, which seems to better account for the pattern of observed findings, and propose a number of studies that might help further resolve whether dietary restraint is causally related to the development of eating pathology.

scholarly journals Soleymani, Mazidi, Neimeijer, de Jong (2021). Eating disorder-specific rumination moderates the association between attentional bias to high-caloric foods and eating disorder symptoms: Evidence from a reliable free-viewing eye-tracking task.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali Soleymani ◽  
Mazidi ◽  
Renate Niemeijer ◽  
Peter J. de Jong
Keyword(s):  
Eating Disorders ◽  
Eating Disorder ◽  
Eye Tracking ◽  
Attentional Bias ◽  
Dwell Time ◽  
Tracking Task ◽  
Eating Disorder Symptoms ◽  
Free Viewing ◽  
Food Images

Cognitive theories of eating disorders implicate Attentional Bias (AB) towards food-related information in the development and maintenance of eating disorders. Empirical evidence for this proposal, however, has been inconsistent and the measures used to examine AB to food-related stimuli typically showed poor reliability. The aim of the current study was twofold. Firstly, we aimed to examine the psychometric properties of a newly devised eye-tracking task for the assessment of AB in the context of eating disorders. Secondly, we examined the role of Eating Disorder-specific (ED-specific) rumination as a potential moderator of the association between attentional bias to food images and eating disorder symptoms. One hundred and three female students were recruited and completed an eye-tracking task comprising 21 matrices that each contained 8 low-caloric and 8 high-caloric food images. Each matrix was presented for 6 s. First fixation location, first fixation latency and total dwell time were assessed for low and high-caloric food images and the dwell-time based AB measure showed good reliability based on Cronbach’s alpha and split-half method. In addition, the results revealed that the ED-specific rumination plays the hypothesized moderating role. Specifically, while participants with high levels of ED-specific rumination exhibited a positive association between AB to high-caloric foods and eating disorder symptoms, this association was eliminated among participants with lower levels of ED-specific rumination. The employed free-viewing task seems a reliable measure of AB to food-related stimuli and the moderation analysis emphasizes the critical role of ED-specific rumination for eating disorder symptoms. Implications, limitations and directions for future research are discussed.

scholarly journals Alexithymia and eating disorders: a critical review of the literature

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matilda E Nowakowski ◽  
Traci McFarlane ◽  
Stephanie Cassin
Keyword(s):  
Eating Disorders ◽  
Eating Disorder ◽  
Critical Review ◽  
Theoretical Models ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Review Of The Literature ◽  
Eating Disorder Symptoms ◽  
Not Otherwise Specified ◽  
Bodily Sensations

Alexithymia is characterized by difficulties identifying feelings and differentiating between feelings and bodily sensations, difficulties communicating feelings, and a concrete cognitive style focused on the external environment. Individuals with eating disorders have elevated levels of alexithymia, particularly difficulties identifying and describing their feelings. A number of theoretical models have suggested that individuals with eating disorders may find emotions unacceptable and/or frightening and may use their eating disorder symptoms (i.e., restricting food intake, bingeing, and/or purging) as a way to avoid or cope with their feelings. The current critical review synthesizes the literature on alexithymia and eating disorders and examines alexithymia levels across eating disorders (i.e., anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and eating disorder not otherwise specified), the role of alexithymia in binge eating disorder, and the influence of alexithymia on the development of eating disorders as well as treatment outcome. The clinical implications of the research conducted to date and directions for future research are discussed.

scholarly journals Gender differences in symptom presentation and treatment outcome in children and youths with eating disorders

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer S. Coelho ◽  
Janet Suen ◽  
Sheila Marshall ◽  
Alex Burns ◽  
Josie Geller ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gender Differences ◽  
Eating Disorders ◽  
Eating Disorder ◽  
Eating Pathology ◽  
The Body ◽  
Symptom Presentation ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Eating Disorder Symptom ◽  
Eating Disorder Symptoms ◽  
Disorder Symptom

Abstract Background To address the gaps in the literature examining eating disorders among males and gender minority youths, a prospective study was designed to assess gender differences in eating disorder symptom presentation and outcomes. Muscularity concerns may be particularly relevant for male youths with eating disorders, and were included in assessment of eating disorder symptom presentation. Methods All cisgender male youths who presented for specialized eating disorder treatment at one of two sites were invited to participate, along with a group of matched cisgender females, and all youths who did not identify with the sex assigned to them at birth. Youths completed measures of eating disorder symptoms, including muscularity concerns, and other psychiatric symptoms at baseline and end of treatment. Results A total of 27 males, 28 females and 6 trans youths took part in the study. At baseline, Kruskal–Wallis tests demonstrated that trans youths reported higher scores than cisgender male and female youths on measures of eating pathology (Eating disorder examination-questionnaire (EDE-Q) and the body fat subscale of the male body attitudes scale (MBAS)). These analyses demonstrated that there were no differences between cisgender male and female youths on eating disorder symptoms at baseline. However, repeated measures ANOVA demonstrated that males had greater decreases in eating pathology at discharge than did females, based on self-reported scores on the EDE-Q, MBAS, and Body Change Inventory. Conclusions Gender differences in eating pathology appeared at baseline, with trans youths reporting higher levels of eating pathology than cisgender youths, though no differences between cisgender males and females emerged at baseline for eating disorder symptom presentation. Contrary to expectations, there were no gender differences in measures of muscularity concerns. Males demonstrated greater eating disorder symptom improvements than females, suggesting that male adolescents may have better treatment outcomes than females in some domains.

scholarly journals Gender Differences in Symptom Presentation and Treatment Outcome in Children and Youths With Eating Disorders

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer S. Coelho ◽  
Janet Suen ◽  
Sheila Marshall ◽  
Alex Burns ◽  
Josie Geller ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gender Differences ◽  
Eating Disorders ◽  
Eating Disorder ◽  
Eating Pathology ◽  
The Body ◽  
Symptom Presentation ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Eating Disorder Symptom ◽  
Eating Disorder Symptoms ◽  
Disorder Symptom

Abstract Background. To address the gaps in the literature examining eating disorders among males and gender minority youths, a prospective study was designed to assess gender differences in eating disorder symptom presentation and outcomes. Muscularity concerns may be particularly relevant for male youths with eating disorders, and were included in assessment of eating disorder symptom presentation. Methods. All male youths who presented for specialized eating disorder treatment at one of two sites were invited to participate, along with a group of matched females, and all youths who did not identify with the sex assigned to them at birth. Youths completed measures of eating disorder symptoms, including muscularity concerns, and other psychiatric symptoms at baseline and end of treatment.Results. A total of 27 males, 28 females and 6 trans youths took part in the study. At baseline, Kruskal-Wallis tests demonstrated that trans youths reported higher scores than cisgender male and female youths on measures of eating pathology (Eating Disorder Examination – Questionnaire (EDE-Q) and the body fat subscale of the Male Body Attitudes Scale (MBAS)). These analyses demonstrated that there were no differences between cisgender male and female youths on eating disorder symptoms at baseline. However, repeated measures ANOVA demonstrated that males had greater decreases than did females in eating pathology at discharge than did females, based on self-reported scores on the EDE-Q, MBAS, and Body Change Inventory. Conclusions. Gender differences in eating pathology appeared at baseline, with trans youths reporting higher levels of eating pathology than cisgender youths, though no differences between cisgender males and females emerged at baseline for eating disorder symptom presentation. Contrary to expectations, there were no gender differences in measures of muscularity concerns. Males demonstrated greater eating disorder symptom improvements than females, suggesting that male adolescents may have better treatment outcomes than females in some domains.

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