Perceived current and ideal body size in female undergraduates

MacNeill, Lillian; Best, Lisa A.

doi:10.1016/j.eatbeh.2015.03.004

Cited by 34 publications

(43 citation statements)

References 37 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Individuals with AN, on average, wanted to be a lower percentage of their EBW compared to those with BN, but individuals with AN had smaller differences between their actual body weight and the one they desired compared to those with BN. On average, participants with AN wanted to gain 5.28% of their current body weight (which would still keep them in the underweight range [MacNeill & Best, ]), while participants with BN wanted to lose 13.60% of their body weight. In past work examining preferred body shape in individuals with AN, individuals who were currently at a low weight reported preferring an ideal shape that was slightly larger than what they had (Channon et al, ), which is consistent with our finding that individuals with AN were willing to gain some weight.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Preference for a smaller body size has been associated with disordered eating (MacNeill & Best, ) and the onset of eating disorders (Stice & Shaw, ) in community samples. Additionally, in nonclinical populations, discrepancy between one's actual (i.e., current) body shape and ideal (i.e., desired) body shape has been associated with increased levels of disordered eating (Zeigler‐Hill & Noser, ) and eating disordered behaviors (Zarychta, Luszczynska, & Scholz, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Relationship between desired weight and eating disorder pathology in youth

Boyd

Kass

Accurso

et al. 2017

Intl J Eating Disorders

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Objective Individuals with eating disorders (ED), particularly anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN), often wish to reduce their body weight in pursuit of a thin ideal, but no study has examined the relation between desired weight and ED pathology in a clinical population of youth. Given the potential impact of desired weight on normalization of eating patterns and weight restoration, we examined the relation between desired weight and ED pathology in youth with AN or BN. Method Participants were 340 youth presenting to an outpatient ED clinical research program. Height and weight were measured, and youth completed the Eating Disorder Examination. Desired weight was operationalized as “desired weight percentage” (calculated as a percentage of expected body weight) and “weight difference percentage” (actual weight minus desired weight, divided by actual weight and multiplied by 100). Results Youth with AN desired to be a lower percentage of their expected body weight than youth with BN (p < .001). However, youth with AN, on average, wanted to gain 5.28% of their body weight and youth with BN wanted to lose 13.60% (p < .001). Desired weight percentage and weight difference percentage were associated with greater ED psychopathology, controlling for ED diagnosis, age, and sex (ps < .001). Discussion Desired weight is associated with elevated ED psychopathology. Weight goals may shift as individuals progress through treatment; if they do not, then desired weight may be an important indicator of a lack of psychological progress.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Relationship between desired weight and eating disorder pathology in youth

Boyd

Kass

Accurso

et al. 2017

Intl J Eating Disorders

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Eating disorder symptomatology – both at sub-clinical and clinical levels – is also highly prevalent among college students (Delinsky and Wilson, 2008, Malinauskas et al, 2006). Further, female college students in particular tend to have high levels of body dissatisfaction (MacNeill and Best, 2015); high levels of “dieting” and disordered patterns of eating in this group have been explained by body image concerns (Cooley and Toray, 2001). No research, to the authors' knowledge, has specifically addressed the connections between weight stigma attitudes and experiences and eating behaviors within an emerging adult college population.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Weight stigma and eating behaviors on a college campus: Are students immune to stigma's effects?

Brewis

Brennhofer

Woerden

et al. 2016

Preventive Medicine Reports

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

College populations are groups of emerging adults undergoing significant transitions in eating and diet, being exposed to new social influences; many experience weight gain. Theoretically, college campuses should be places where weight stigma is evident and matters for dietary decision-making. We present the findings from two studies conducted within the same college population at a large public university, including anthropometric measures of body mass. Study 1 included two different measures of weight stigma (implicit and explicit) and measures of weight-control eating behaviors and fruit and vegetable consumption in a randomized representative sample of 204 students. Study 2 included a measure of weight responsibility and multiple measures of eating (food frequency, alcohol intake, and 24-hour dietary recalls), among freshman students (n = 202, n = 157 with 24-hour dietary recalls). Study 1 showed that the three types of stigmas were prevalent. Study 2 had a high prevalence of weight stigma attitudes and demonstrated the occurrence of unhealthful eating and binge drinking behaviors. Both studies found no relationship between weight stigma/responsibility and eating behaviors regardless of weight status. Beyond considering limitations of the study design, we propose two possible reasons for college students' relative immunity to the effects of weight stigma. Those with very high levels of stigma could be suppressing stigmatizing attitudes based on what they think others think is acceptable in a liberal college setting, or the chaotic form of “normal” eating in this population hides the effects of weight stigma.

show abstract

“…It can also provide information about the use of specific forms of physical activity in the treatment of women suffering from body image disorders and eating disorder, which often coexist. This is very important because despite the fact that body dissatisfaction in the general population of women is frequent [24], many of these problems do not reach clinical level and are not diagnosed or treated.…”

Section: Research Focusmentioning

confidence: 99%