Mindfulness as a Moderator of the Association Between Eating Disorder Cognition and Eating Disorder Behavior Among a Non-clinical Sample of Female College Students: A Role of Ethnicity

The role of female family members in relation to body image and eating behaviour: A cross-national comparison between Western and Middle-Eastern cultures

While recent research has shifted toward investigating positive body image, gaps remain in our understanding beyond Western contexts. The present study investigated cross-national differences in the associations between perceived pressures from female family members (mothers and sisters) and both negative and positive body image and eating behaviour outcomes. Participants, aged 18-25, were recruited from both a Western (n = 486) and Middle-Eastern (n = 372) population, and completed an online survey measuring familial pressures and fat talk, internalisation, comparisons, body dissatisfaction, disordered eating, body appreciation and mindful eating. Overall, both mothers and sisters were found to be important sources of pressures. Results demonstrated similarities and differences in negative and positive body image and eating behaviours across cultures. However, the major finding was clear. Middle-Eastern participants, compared to Western participants, demonstrated greater levels of body appreciation and in the mindful eating behaviour of eating without distraction. Despite young Middle-Eastern women facing similar body image and eating concerns as Western women, they exhibit greater body appreciation which may mitigate these concerns. These findings extend our understanding of body image and eating behaviour across countries, and could inform the development of interventions which promote positive body image and eating behaviours within the family environment.

Exploring the moderating roles of dispositional mindfulness and body image flexibility in the association between body dissatisfaction and disordered eating in Chinese adolescents

OBJECTIVES

Previous research suggests potential moderating roles of dispositional mindfulness and body image flexibility in the association between body dissatisfaction and disordered eating. However, relevant research is mainly conducted on adult women from Western countries, and limited evidence exists for adolescent samples, especially from non-Western contexts (e.g., China). Thus, this study aimed to examine the moderating roles of dispositional mindfulness and body image flexibility in the relationship between body dissatisfaction and disordered eating in Chinese adolescents.

METHOD

We recruited 545 Chinese adolescents (53.9% boys, aged 12-16 years) who completed measures of body dissatisfaction, dispositional mindfulness, body image flexibility, and disordered eating. Moderation analyses were examined with PROCESS macro on SPSS.

RESULTS

In separate models, both higher dispositional mindfulness and body image flexibility weakened relationships between body dissatisfaction and disordered eating. However, when both dispositional mindfulness and body image flexibility were entered into the same moderation model, only body image flexibility showed a significant moderating effect.

DISCUSSION

Both dispositional mindfulness and body image flexibility may weaken the association between body dissatisfaction and disordered eating in adolescents. However, body image flexibility might have a stronger effect than dispositional mindfulness. These findings suggest that interventions aimed at reducing body dissatisfaction to prevent disordered eating in adolescents may pay more attention to adolescents' body image flexibility.

The nature and effects of psychotherapy clients' nondisclosure of eating and body image concerns

Client nondisclosure about their eating disorders may result in significant delays in receiving treatment and subsequent poorer long-term outcomes. Despite these consequences and the high mortality rate among eating-disordered clients, there is a dearth of research on the concealment of or lying about symptomatology among this population. The present, qualitative study examined a sample of respondents (n = 45) who reported dishonesty in therapy about eating issues and body image concerns and provided information about their motives for, and perceived consequences of, being dishonest about these issues. Thematic analysis of responses to two open-ended questions was conducted by a six-member coding team. Shame was found to be the most commonly offered reason for nondisclosure, specifically, shame about the body, shame about the pathological behavior, and shame from anticipated therapist judgment. A second commonly reported motive was clients' sense that they wanted to avoid unwanted therapeutic interventions into their behavior. Most respondents did not perceive their nondisclosure to negatively affect their therapy. Therapists, we conclude, should generally be more active in their pursuit of accurate information when they suspect clients are engaged in eating disordered behaviors, doing so in a manner that mitigates feelings of shame.

Mindful awareness moderates the association between psychological inflexibility and distress variables: A cross-sectional investigation

OBJECTIVE

Informed by the contextual behavioral science (CBS) model of behavioral health, the present cross-sectional study examined whether mindful awareness moderated the associations between psychological inflexibility and four distress variables.

PARTICIPANTS

Cross-sectional data were collected from 402 ethnically diverse undergraduate college students from September 2015 to October 2015.

METHODS

Participants competed an online self-report survey.

RESULTS

Mindful awareness moderated the associations between psychological inflexibility and distress variables, with stronger associations for somatization and anxiety, and weaker associations for general distress and depression. Specifically, the strength of the positive associations between psychological inflexibility and these distress variables were substantially greater among those low in mindful awareness.

CONCLUSION

These findings suggest that a greater degree of mindful awareness may buffer the effects of psychological inflexibility on distress variables, particularly somatization and anxiety. Theoretical and applied implications as well as limitations of the study are discussed.

Understanding the relationship between negative emotional eating and binge eating: The moderating effects of acting with awareness and non-reactive mindfulness

OBJECTIVES

Negative emotional eating and binge eating are positively related, occur in diverse populations, and may be driven by similar mechanisms. Mindfulness facets such as acting with awareness, describe, non-judgement, non-reactive, and observe may moderate the relationship between these maladaptive eating phenotypes.

METHOD

A cross-sectional study assessed emotional eating-depression (Emotional Eating Scale-Revised, depression subscale), trait mindfulness facets (Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire-Short Form), and binge eating severity (Binge Eating Scale) in adults (N = 258).

RESULTS

Emotional eating-depression was less strongly associated with binge eating severity in participants with higher acting with awareness mindfulness. Emotional eating-depression was more strongly associated with binge eating severity in participants with higher non-reactive mindfulness.

CONCLUSIONS

Acting with awareness and non-reactive mindfulness may be important treatment targets in concurrent presentations of emotional eating-depression and binge eating.

Psychological inflexibility moderates the relationship between thin-ideal internalization and disordered eating

Internalizing ideals of thinness has been related to disordered eating. Thus, it is important to identify potential protective factors that may allow someone to internalize this belief without developing an eating disorder. In this study, we explored psychological flexibility and inflexibility as potential moderators of the relationship between thin-ideal internalization and disordered eating. College women (N = 201) completed the Multidimensional Psychological Flexibility Inventory, the thin-ideal internalization subscale of the Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire, and the Eating Attitudes Test. Psychological inflexibility, but not psychological flexibility, was found to be a significant moderator of the relationship between thin-ideal internalization and disordered eating. Further analyses found that the specific subscales which moderated this relationship were Fusion, Lack of Present Moment Awareness, Lack of Values, and Inaction. Contrary to our hypothesis, disordered eating was positively related to Acceptance. The results suggest that being psychologically inflexible is particularly problematic in the context of thin-ideal internalization. Additionally, increasing acceptance may not be effective if the accepted thoughts are about the importance of thinness.

Assessment of Family Functioning and Eating Disorders - The Mediating Role of Self-Esteem

The aim of the study was to measure whether people at increased risk for eating disorders (EDs) and people without an increased risk of EDs differ from each other in the assessment of family functioning (FF) and self-esteem (SE) dimensions. Moreover, the correlations between FF, EDs, and SE were verified, looking for the mediating role of SE in the context of the FF and EDs. The research was conducted on the group of 160 people aged from 18 to 47 years, including 74 people at increased risk for EDs. We used: The Family APGAR (Adaptability, Partnership, Growth, Affection, and Resolve); The SCOFF Questionnaire; The Multidimensional Self-Esteem Inventory, MSEI. Analyses indicate that the compared groups differ significantly in terms of EDs, assessment of FF, and all components of SE, in such a way that people without an increased risk of EDs are characterized by a more positive assessment of FF and higher SE in all its dimensions. All SE dimensions, except defensive high SE, are mediators in the relationship of FF with EDs. In therapeutic interactions, it is worth focusing on the SE dimensions, as they are one of the mediation elements in the relationship between the assessment of FF and EDs.