Can Self-Determination Help Protect Women Against Sociocultural Influences About Body Image and Reduce Their Risk of Experiencing Bulimic Symptoms

Abstract

According to the sociocultural approach of eating pathology, the more women perceive sociocultural pressures about body image, the more they endorse society's beliefs related to thinness and obesity which in turn, is associated with greater body dissatisfaction. Also, the more dissatisfied women are about their body image, the more they report bulimic symptoms. In the present study, the same sequence of variables was tested with the addition of a Global Self-Determination variable to examine why sociocultural pressures are associated with bulimic symptomatology in only a subset of women. Participants (N = 300) consisted of female university students. Analyses revealed that the more women were globally self-determined towards the different aspects of their life, the less they perceived sociocultural pressures about body image, the less they endorsed society's beliefs related to thinness and obesity, and the less they experienced bulimic symptoms. These findings suggest that a global self-determined motivational profile in life could possibly act as a buffer against sociocultural influences about body image and decrease women's risk of experiencing bulimic symptoms.

An Examination of General and Specific Motivational Mechanisms for the Relations Between Body Dissatisfaction and Eating Behaviors

“…These hypotheses have already been tested and supported in one study. Pelletier, Dion, and Lévesque (2004) first tested a model that supported the sociocultural pathway to bulimia, observing that greater perceptions of sociocultural pressures about body image predicted greater endorsement of societal beliefs related to thinness and obesity, which, in turn, was associated with greater body dissatisfaction resulting in more bulimic symptoms. However, when general self-determination was added to the model, the results provided support for a protective role for self-determination.…”

“…First, self-determination toward one's life in general should play two roles: one as a protective factor against sociocultural pressures about body image (Pelletier, Dion, & Lévesque, 2004), and the other as a significant determinant of the motivation toward eating behaviors (Pelletier, Dion, Slovinec-D'Angelo, & Reid, 2004). Second, specific self-determination for the regulation of eating behaviors should be an important predictor of both healthy eating and problem eating.…”

“…However, the assimilation or internalization of these concepts may depend on the extent to which women feel that they are active agents or self-determined toward different aspects of their life. Greater levels of general self-determination are thought to provide women with a buffer against sociocultural pressures of thinness and the endorsement of societal beliefs about thinness and obesity, thus reducing the likelihood of experiencing bulimic symptoms (Pelletier, Dion, & Lévesque, 2004). Second, SDT may also be useful to better explain the relation between body dissatisfaction and problem eating by distinguishing how self-determined forms of motivation for the regulation of eating behavior could lead to healthy eating, while nonself-determined forms of motivation for the regulation of eating behavior could lead to problem eating (Pelletier, Dion, Slovinec-D'Angelo, & Reid, 2004).…”

Defined weight expectations in overweight women: anthropometrical, psychological and eating behavioral correlates

“…In a culture that emphasizes thinness and weight control, preoccupation about weight may be related to dissatisfaction with one's body weight and shape as well as an overconcern about reaching an ideal weight. 3 This is particularly observed in women compared to men who appear to be much more comfortable with their weight. 4 A study performed in Canadian women having a body mass index (BMI) within acceptable limits (acceptable BMI defined as being between 20 and 24 kg/m 2 for the purpose of that study), showed that the proportion of those who desire to lose weight was quite elevated with 35% considering themselves above their desired weight.…”

Unhealthy weight control behaviours in adolescent girls: a process model based on self-determination theory

“…For example, women's level of autonomy in their lives appears to protect against body image pressures (Pelletier & Dion, 2007) and is negatively associated with bulimic behaviours (Pelletier, Dion, & Lévesque, 2004). Further, in a sample of (mainly female) aerobics instructors, general autonomy need satisfaction was found to negatively predict body image concerns (i.e., body dissatisfaction and drive for thinness; Thøgersen-Ntoumani & Ntoumanis, 2007).…”