Journal article
Body Concerns and BMI as Predictors of Disordered Eating and Body Mass in Girls: An 18-Year Longitudinal Investigation
Journal of abnormal psychology (1965), v 128(1), pp 32-43
Jan 2019
PMID: 30628808
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
Body concerns (e.g., body dissatisfaction and weight preoccupation) are well-supported prospective risk factors for the development of eating disorders in women. Body concerns are psychological variables but they are partly based on actual body mass. This study tested whether (a) body concerns predict increases in eating disorder characteristics measured both continuously (via subscale scores on the Minnesota Eating Behavior Survey (MEBS) and categorically (via transition to a probable or definite eating disorder), (b) body concerns predict changes in BMI, and (c) BMI predicts changes in eating disorder symptoms or development of an eating disorder. Beginning with 762 girls at age 11, the MEBS' Body Dissatisfaction (BD) and Weight Preoccupation (WP) scales were used to predict change in the MEBS' Bulimic Behavior scale (the sum of the Binge Eating and Compensatory Behaviors scales), in BD and WP themselves and in BMI over 18 years of follow up. Baseline BMI was also used to predict BMI and MEBS change. Contrary to expectations, BD and WP predicted significantly reduced growth in all MEBS scales and also predicted significantly reduced growth in BMI. BD, WP and BMI did not predict development of an ED. This pattern was strengthened when predictors were measured at age 17 instead of 11. We consider the possibility that the divergence between the current findings and past findings on eating disorder risk factors may stem from the unusually long developmental period studied, ranging from age 11 (or 17) through age 29. Additional longitudinal research that spans a similar developmental period could shed light on the plausibility of this explanation.
General Scientific Summary
Overconcern with one's body is a robust predictor of the development of continuously measured eating disorder symptoms and categorically defined eating disorders. This study tested whether such findings hold when measured over a much longer follow-up period starting at age 11 and ending at age 29. Findings indicated that both body dissatisfaction and weight preoccupation predicted a reduced, rather than an increased, rate of eating disorder symptom development over an 18-year follow-up period.
Metrics
Details
- Title
- Body Concerns and BMI as Predictors of Disordered Eating and Body Mass in Girls: An 18-Year Longitudinal Investigation
- Creators
- Michael R Lowe - Department of Psychology, Drexel UniversityNaomi Marmorstein - Department of Psychology, Rutgers UniversityWilliam Iacono - Department of Psychology, University of MinnesotaDiane Rosenbaum - Department of Psychology, Drexel UniversityHallie Espel-Huynh - Department of Psychology, Drexel UniversityAlexandra F Muratore - Department of Psychology, Drexel UniversityElin L Lantz - Department of Psychology, Drexel UniversityFengquig Zhang - Department of Psychology, Drexel University
- Contributors
- Angus MacDonald (Editor)
- Publication Details
- Journal of abnormal psychology (1965), v 128(1), pp 32-43
- Publisher
- American Psychological Association
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Psychological and Brain Sciences (Psychology)
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000455593700004
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-85059795184
- Other Identifier
- 991014878347404721
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InCites Highlights
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Psychiatry
- Psychology, Clinical
- Psychology, Multidisciplinary