scholarly journals Examining multidimensional risk factors for all populations affected by eating disorders

Author(s):  
Dylan Park ◽  
Susanna Im

Decades of studies conducted on eating disorders have given researchers a better understanding of the risk factors of eating disorders. Nevertheless, the complexity of eating disorders results in studies only being able to test a limited sample population, making it difficult to generalize results to the general public. Research must also actively investigate the effect of ongoing technological advancements that have transformed the way people interact with one another on the development of eating disorders. The current study used a literature review style approach to address these current limitations in eating disorder research by analyzing all populations that are affected by eating disorders and the involved risk factors. The research question that this study sought to answer was why only a certain group of individuals develop eating disorders when the entire population is exposed to risk factors. The main hypothesis of this study was whether the internalization of an ideal body style different from the one that an individually currently had while using maladaptive ways to achieve this ideal body image was sufficient to developing an eating disorder. The results supported the hypothesis, as the common theme among all sample populations was that the idealized body style, shape, and size was simply different from the one that individuals currently had. The extent to which this different body style was internalized as well as the extent to which maladaptive measures were taken to achieve this ideal body image was associated with increased vulnerability and likelihood of developing an eating disorder.

2018 ◽  
pp. 208-227
Author(s):  
Marjorie Hogan ◽  
Victor C. Strasburger

Body self-image is a major concern for teenagers. Pressure to emulate the American body ideal—ultrathin for women, muscular for men—comes from a combination of forces, with teens constructing their ideal body image through messages from family, peers, and the media. But do the media cause eating disorders? As with many aspects of media research, the answer is complicated, and this article discusses ways media may influence body self-image and eating behavior. Given concerns that negative body self-image may contribute to disordered eating, media education presents an opportunity to counter harmful messages and images on large and small screens and in the print media.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mónica Hernández-López ◽  
Lourdes Quiñones-Jiménez ◽  
Alberto L. Blanco-Romero ◽  
Miguel Rodríguez-Valverde

Abstract Background The discrepancy between actual and ideal body image is considered an index of body dissatisfaction and a risk factor for eating disorders. While discrepancy has been traditionally tested with figural drawing rating scales, in recent times the use of implicit measures has been explored. Methods This study employs the Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure (IRAP) to examine actual-ideal body-size discrepancy in a sample of 130 Spanish college students, as well as its utility to predict symptoms of eating disorders and other body-image relevant measures. Participants completed the Contour Drawing Rating Scale (CDRS). The three smallest and the three largest contour drawings of the CDRS were used as target stimuli in two different IRAP tasks: one in combination with the sample phrases “I am” and “I am not” (that assessed implicit actual body image), another in combination with the phrases “I want to be” and “I don’t want to be” (that assessed implicit ideal body image). After completing both IRAP tasks, participants completed explicit measures of body-image psychological inflexibility, body dissatisfaction, and symptoms of eating disorders. Results Results showed a small implicit bias towards thinness. Participants were faster in affirming than denying that they are thin and that they desire to be thin. They were also faster in affirming than denying that they are fat and that they want to be fat, but to a smaller extent than with thinness. Specifically, the implicit desire to be (or not be) fat emerged as an independent predictor of eating disorder symptoms, psychological inflexibility, and body dissatisfaction that significantly increased the predictive power of CDRS scores. Conclusions These findings underscore the need for further research on specific body image implicit beliefs towards fatness, both in subclinical and clinical populations, in order to examine whether willingness to accept the idea that one can have a larger body size can be a suitable target for prevention and intervention in eating disorders.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 i (14) ◽  
pp. 18-36
Author(s):  
Elena Semenova ◽  

The paper continues the author's research series in the field of women's eating disorders. The focus of this work is on cases of anorexia nervosa, provoked by the desire of the individual to identify himself with the ideal body image, in which the thanatological intention is clearly traced. The destructive impact of an ideal aesthetic image on a person with these features of artistic perception is considered on the example of biographical fiction portraits, stories, novels of teenage girls and young womens suffering from anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa. The author examines the manifesto of anorexia “I don't want to have a doll — I want to be a doll” in the framework of a social semiotic concept. The author sees this phenomenon as interdisciplinary problem that lies on the border of art, psychopathology and thanatology philosophy. The methodological basis of the research is the art semiotic concepts, notion “celebrity anorexia” by E. Burke, the theory of performance by E. Fischer-Lichte, the consept “an aesthetic object” of M.M. Bakhtin.


Food Research ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (S3) ◽  
pp. 83-91
Author(s):  
Suryawati ◽  
F.F. Dieny ◽  
R. Purwanti ◽  
A.F.A. Tsani ◽  
N. Widyastuti

Eating disorders in young female athletes is a serious psychological and health disease which could become an early problem on Female Athlete Triad. Eating disorders are influenced by internal and external factors. This study aimed to determine the risk factors for eating disorders in young female athletes. An observational study with a crosssectional design on eighty-six young female athletes was conducted with consecutive sampling method. Subjects in this study were athletes in athletics, weightlifting, volleyball, beach volleyball, swimming, rowing, fencing, Pencak Silat, karate, taekwondo, judo, sepak takraw, table tennis, and boxing. The inclusion criteria of the subject athletes were young female athletes aged 11-21 years registered at the study site, did not consume alcohol, and voluntary. The nutritional status of the subjects was measured by their Body Mass Index for age score. Eating disorder was measured using the Eating Attitude Test-26 questionnaire and Eating Disorder Diagnostic Scale for the type of eating disorders, Rosenberg Self Esteem for Self Confidence, Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-42 for stress level, and Body Shape Questionnaire for body image perception. This study used univariate analysis, bivariate analysis with chi-square and multivariate analysis with logistic regression test. The prevalence of eating disorders risk among the young female athletes in this study was approximately 37.2%, where 9.3% of subjects were bulimia, 5.8% were on the binge of eating disorder, and 22.1% subjects experienced eating disorder not otherwise specified (EDNOS). The multivariate analysis showed that the risk factor of eating disorders in young female athletes was the negative body image perception (p = <0.001; RP:10.5) and stress (p = 0.023; RP:3.5). Nutritional status, self-confidence, and type of exercise were not proven as the risk factors of eating disorder among young female athletes. Based on this study, it can be concluded that the negative body image perception and stress are the risk factors of eating disorders among young female athletes.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. e0262513
Author(s):  
Yumi Hamamoto ◽  
Shinsuke Suzuki ◽  
Motoaki Sugiura

Body-image disturbance comprises two components. The first is perceptual in nature, and is measured by a discrepancy between one’s actual body and perceived self-image (“perceived–actual discrepancy”). The other component is affective, and is measured by a discrepancy between one’s perceived self-image and ideal body image (“perceived–ideal discrepancy”). The present study evaluated the relationships between body-image disturbance and characteristics of eating disorders such as symptoms and related personality traits. In a psychophysiological experiment, female university students (mean ± SD age = 21.0 ± 1.38 years) were presented with silhouette images of their own bodies that were distorted in terms of width. The participants were asked whether each silhouette image was more overweight than their actual or ideal body images. Eating-disorder characteristics were assessed using six factors from the Japanese version of the Eating Disorder Inventory 2 (EDI2). We found that perceived–actual discrepancies correlated with negative self-evaluation (i.e., factor 3 of the EDI2), whereas perceived–ideal discrepancies correlated with dissatisfaction with one’s own body (i.e., factor 2 of EDI2). These results imply that distinct psychological mechanisms underlie the two components of body-image disturbance.


1993 ◽  
Vol 38 (7) ◽  
pp. 469-471 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clifford W. Sharp

A woman aged 58 who has been blind since the age of nine months presented with major depression and a 40 year history of an eating disorder characterized by a restriction of food intake and body disparagement. The case is additional evidence that a specifically visual body image is not essential for the development of anorexia nervosa and supports the view that the concept of body image is unnecessary and unproductive in eating disorders. Greater emphasis should be placed on attitudes and feelings toward the body, and the possibility of an eating disorder should be considered in cases of older women with an atypical presentation.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
María Eugenia Ibáñez-Zamacona ◽  
Alaitz Poveda ◽  
Esther Rebato

Abstract This research studied the preferences reported by women and men about their Ideal Body Image for the Opposite Sex (IBIOS), and its association with body mass index (BMI). It also analysed the preferences of each sex for a woman’s ideal body image (W-IBI) and a man’s ideal body image (M-IBI). A total of 450 participants aged 18–70 years with different weights were studied. Their IBIOS was assessed using standard figural stimuli. The sample was divided in four groups by sex and age (<45 years; ≥45 years). Sex and age differences in IBIOS, as well as sex differences in the preferences for a woman’s ideal body image (W-IBI) and a man’s ideal body image (M-IBI), were tested using a non-parametric Mann-Whitney U test. The association between IBIOS and BMI was analysed using Spearman’s correlation. In all groups, the most chosen silhouette as IBIOS was number 4. In the under-45 years group, women chose bigger silhouettes for the opposite sex than men did (p<0.05). In this age group women chose as ideal smaller silhouettes for the female body than men did (p<0.01). In addition, women and men in the younger age group and with normal weight chose smaller silhouettes, while those who were overweight or obese selected larger silhouettes (p<0.001). Age was found to be a relevant factor in IBIOS preferences, and in the association between IBIOS and nutritional status as measured by BMI, which was only observed to be significant in the younger age group.


Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 2834
Author(s):  
Lisa Brelet ◽  
Valentin Flaudias ◽  
Michel Désert ◽  
Sébastien Guillaume ◽  
Pierre-Michel Llorca ◽  
...  

Research about stigmatization in eating disorders (EDs) has highlighted stereotypes, prejudices, and discrimination against people with EDs, as well as their harmful effects on them, including self-stigma and a difficult recovery process. Whereas a recent review focused on the consequences of ED stigma, our work aimed to provide a broader synthesis of ED stigma, including its consequences, but also its content and distribution. More precisely, we focused on three EDs—namely, anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder. Based on a systematic search of four major databases in psychology, the present scoping review includes 46 studies published between 2004 and 2021. We did not conduct any quality assessment of the studies included, because our aim was to provide a wide-ranging overview of these topics instead of an appraisal of evidence answering a precise research question. The review confirmed the existence of a common ED stigma: all individuals affected by EDs reviewed here were perceived as responsible for their situation, and elicited negative emotions and social distance. However, our review also depicted a specific stigma content associated with each ED. In addition, the demographic characteristics of the stigmatizing individuals had a notable influence on the extent of ED stigma: men, young adults, and low-income individuals appeared to be the most stigmatizing toward individuals with EDs. It is important to note that ED stigma had a negative effect on individuals’ eating disorders, psychological wellbeing, and treatment-seeking behavior. There is an urgent need for further research on the adverse effects of ED stigma and its prevention.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gennaro Catone ◽  
Filomena Salerno ◽  
Giulia Muzzo ◽  
Valentina Lanzara ◽  
Antonella Gritti

Abstract Background: psychiatric comorbidities are of particular interest in Eating disorders. The association between anorexia nervosa and psychotic disorders is less studied than that with affective disorders (anxiety/depression). The aim of this study is to describe a psychotic symptom (paranoia) in adolescents with Eating Disorders looking at several potential explicative associated factors: eating disorder symptoms, body image concerns, depression and social anxiety. Our hypothesis is that paranoia in AN patients is more explained by the concomitant depression and social anxiety symptoms than core symptoms of the disease (eating disorder symptoms or body image concerns). Methods: this is a retrospective cross sectional study and consecutive, help-seeking adolescents admitted to the Eating Disorder service of the Integrated Pediatric Care Department, Luigi Vanvitelli University Hospital constituted the sample. Data was obtained trough retrospective collection of clinical interviews and self – report questionnaires administered by trained and expert child and adolescent psychiatrists. Results: We obtained data from 92 adolescents with Eating Disorders. Paranoia was dimensionally distributed in the sample (mean: 22,17 SD: 17,7; median 18 IQR: 7/36; range: 0-62). Our regression model explained that paranoia in this population was better explained by depression (coefficient= 0,415 SD: 0,210, p=0,052) and social anxiety symptoms (coefficient= 0,253 SD: 0,060; p<0,001) than eating disorder symptoms (coefficient= 0,092 SD: 0,107; p=0,398) and body image concerns (coefficient= 1,916 SD: 2,079; p=0,359) that did not retain their significance when all our predictive factors entered in the model. Conclusion: This study has some theoretical, clinical and treatment implications. It is important to carrying out screening for the presence of psychotic symptoms in patients with Eating Disorders. These symptoms and associated factors (depression and social anxiety) may complicate the clinical picture of the disease with the need, in certain cases, of psychopharmacological drugs and, among these, anti-psychotics. Finally in the psychotherapy context, paranoid idea may be subject of treatment for patient with EDs.


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