ABSTRACT Using culture‐based approaches, Monocello et al. revealed that young Korean men generally shared the same perceptions of fatness, including three categories (“too thin,” “balanced,” and “too ...fat”). The “balanced” category was most consistent with local South Korean culture, and the “too fat” category was associated with higher body dissatisfaction and disordered eating. Even though cultural differences in body ideals are an essential factor to consider in the development of body dissatisfaction and disordered eating, little research has applied culture‐based approaches to explore body ideals in men, including how these ideals may be related to men's body image or eating behaviors. Thus, Monocello et al.'s work is a timely and vital contribution to the literature. In this commentary, we expand on Monocello et al.'s work by not only illustrating the roles of local cultures but also introducing the potential influences of external cultures via acculturation in shaping body ideals which, in turn, contribute to body dissatisfaction and disordered eating in men. We also provide future research directions to call for more culture‐based research to understand body dissatisfaction and disordered eating among men in different cultural contexts.
Objective
An extensive literature has documented the deleterious effects of weight bias internalization (WBI) on biopsychosocial health outcomes. Still, this research is largely confined to the ...Western context. Furthermore, few studies have explored associations between WBI and biopsychosocial health outcomes, including in non‐Western adolescent populations.
Method
The present study explored the longitudinal relationships between WBI and body dissatisfaction, disordered eating, psychosocial impairment related to eating disorder features, and psychological and physical well‐being in a sample (N = 1549; aged 11–18 years at baseline) of Chinese adolescents. Relationships between study variables were examined between two waves of data measurement (Time 1, baseline, and Time 2, 6‐month). Cross‐lagged and multivariate models were used to explore prospective relationships between WBI and biopsychosocial correlates.
Results
Bidirectional relationships were observed between WBI and biopsychosocial correlates in Chinese adolescents. Adjusting for covariates and other predictor variables, higher body dissatisfaction, disordered eating, psychosocial impairment, and psychological distress at Time 1 predicted higher WBI at Time 2. Furthermore, higher WBI at Time 1 predicted higher body dissatisfaction, disordered eating, psychosocial impairment, and psychological distress at Time 2.
Discussion
Weight bias internalization and psychosocial correlates were interrelated across time in Chinese adolescents. Improving WBI might be promising in the prevention of eating and body image disturbances and diminished psychosocial well‐being. Similarly, reducing eating and body image disturbances and improving psychosocial well‐being might be useful prevention targets in reducing WBI in Chinese adolescents.
Public Significance
The present study represents an initial effort to explore bidirectional relationships between WBI and biopsychosocial health outcomes in Chinese adolescents. Findings suggest bidirectional relationships between WBI and psychosocial variables, highlighting the potential utility of incorporating WBI interventions into eating pathology and poor psychosocial well‐being prevention designs for Chinese adolescents.
Objective
Ample evidence shows that transgender congruence is negatively associated with body dissatisfaction and disordered eating in the Western context; however, limited research has explored ...these relationships in non‐Western populations (e.g., Chinese transgender adults). Moreover, to our knowledge, there has been no research describing disordered eating in Chinese transgender adults. Thus, this study aimed to explore group differences in and relationships between transgender congruence, body appreciation, body dissatisfaction, and disordered eating in Chinese transgender adults.
Methods
This study examined transgender congruence, body appreciation, body dissatisfaction, and disordered eating in a sample of Chinese transgender adults (N = 200). Chi‐square, F tests, and correlation analyses were conducted to examine group differences and relationships between study variables.
Results
Of the transgender adults, 31.0% screened positive as probable eating disorder (ED) cases. There were no gender identity differences in the study variables. Transgender congruence was positively associated body appreciation (r = .40, p < .001) and negatively associated with body dissatisfaction (r = −.26, p < .001) and disordered eating (r = −.15, p = .031).
Discussion
Chinese transgender adults may be at high risk of EDs. Transgender congruence and body appreciation may serve a protective role in the context of eating pathology in Chinese transgender adults. Future research is needed to validate the observed relationships between transgender congruence, body appreciation, body dissatisfaction, and disordered eating in Chinese transgender adults.
Public Significance
Research on disordered eating and body image in Chinese transgender adults is limited. This study describes disordered eating and its relations with transgender congruence, body appreciation, and body dissatisfaction in Chinese transgender adults. Findings highlight the need for and implications of ED intervention in Chinese transgender adults.
Previous studies have revealed associations between disordered eating symptoms, big-five personality traits, and psychological distress. However, limited research has explored these relationships as ...a network, including their interconnections, and even less has done so in non-Western populations. We employed network analysis to investigate the co-occurrence of disordered eating symptoms, big-five personality traits, and psychological distress in Chinese adults.
A sample of 500 Chinese adults (256 men) completed measures assessing big-five personality traits, psychological distress, and disordered eating symptoms. The network of personality traits, psychological distress, and disordered eating symptoms was estimated, including its central and bridge nodes.
The central nodes in the network were the facets of openness (like adventure), extraversion (like going to social and recreational parties), and disordered eating symptoms (dissatisfaction with body weight or shape). Moreover, certain facets of neuroticism (always worrying something bad will happen), psychological distress (feeling worthless), and an inverse facet of extraversion (bored by parties with lots of people) were identified as essential bridge nodes in maintaining the structure of the network.
Our findings suggest that personality traits (e.g., openness and extraversion) and body dissatisfaction are important in maintaining the network in a community sample of Chinese adults. While future replication is needed, findings from this study suggest that individuals with negative self-thinking, predisposed neuroticism, and extraversion may be at risk of developing disordered eating symptoms.
The present study contributes to existing knowledge by employing a network perspective to examine the associations between disordered eating symptoms, big-five personality traits, and psychological distress in a Chinese adult community sample. The identified facets of neuroticism and extraversion and symptoms of psychological distress may be worthy of targeting in the prevention and treatment of disordered eating in the Chinese context.
Disordered eating includes core eating disorder symptoms present in diverse populations. The extant literature has focused on associations between negative emotional eating and disordered eating to ...the exclusion of positive emotional eating. Emotion regulation may help explain relationships between emotional eating and disordered eating. Emotion regulation difficulties was examined as a moderator of relationships between negative and positive emotional eating and disordered eating including dietary restraint, eating, weight, and shape concerns, and global scores of disordered eating, a general index of disordered eating. A cross-sectional study was employed using a university student population in the United States. Participants completed surveys assessing negative (Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire; Emotional Appetite Questionnaire) and positive (Emotional Appetite Questionnaire) emotional eating, emotion regulation (Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale), and disordered eating (Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire). Moderation analyses were calculated with emotion regulation difficulties as the moderator of relationships between negative and positive emotional eating and disordered eating. Across two separate measures of negative emotional eating, higher negative emotional eating was associated with higher weight concerns and global scores of disordered eating when emotion regulation difficulties was average and increased (+1 SD above average). Higher positive emotional eating was associated with lower dietary restraint and global scores of disordered eating when emotion regulation difficulties was decreased (−1 SD below average). Emotion regulation difficulties strengthened relationships between negative, not positive, emotional eating and disordered eating. Research and clinical implications for the contribution of emotional eating and emotion regulation on disordered eating were discussed.
We tested an integrated model of three prominent theories of disordered eating (tripartite influence theory, objectification theory, and social comparison theory) in a sample of older Chinese men and ...women.
Chinese older men (n = 270) and women (n = 160) completed questionnaires assessing the tripartite influence, objectification, and social comparison theories and thinness- and muscularity-oriented disordered eating. Two structural equation models were tested in Chinese older men and women.
The integrated model showed good model fit and described meaningful variance in thinness- and muscularity-oriented disordered eating in Chinese older men and women. Higher appearance pressures were uniquely related to higher muscularity-oriented disordered eating in men. Across both gender groups, higher thinness internalization was uniquely related to higher thinness- and muscularity-oriented disordered eating, and in women only, higher muscularity internalization was uniquely related to lower thinness-oriented disordered eating. In men, higher upward and downward body image comparisons were uniquely related to higher and lower, respectively, muscularity-oriented disordered eating. In women, higher upward body image comparisons were only uniquely related to higher muscularity-oriented disordered eating while higher downward body image comparisons were uniquely related to both outcomes. Higher body shame was uniquely related to higher thinness-oriented disordered eating across both groups and in men alone, higher body shame was also uniquely related to higher muscularity-oriented disordered eating.
Findings, which tested the integration of tripartite influence, objectification, and social comparison theories, inform the prevention and treatment of disordered eating in Chinese older populations.
The present study is the first to describe theories of disordered eating (tripartite influence, objectification, and social comparison) in Chinese older adults. Findings suggested good model fit and the integrated models described meaningful variance in thinness- and muscularity-oriented disordered eating in Chinese older women and men. Findings extend existing theories of disordered eating and, pending further study, may inform theory-driven prevention and treatment approaches in Chinese older adults.
Extensive research exists on the association between self-reported emotional eating (EE) and disordered eating (DE) behaviors. Heterogeneity exists by type (e.g., unidimensional vs. multidimensional) ...and valence (e.g., negative vs. positive) of self-reported EE, and no previous meta-analyses have examined the association between self-reported EE and DE behaviors. A total of 67 studies (N = 26,289; 43 reporting relations in one model, and 24 reporting relations in more than one model) met inclusion criteria; ranges for age and publication date were 18.0–61.8 years old and 1995 to 2022. Five models quantified relations between DE behaviors and 1) broad negative EE, 2) EE in response to depression, 3) EE in response to anger and anxiety, 4) EE in response to boredom, and 5) EE in response to positive emotions. Using random-effects models, pooled Cohen's d effect sizes suggested small, positive relations between DE behaviors and self-reported broad negative EE (d = 0.40, p < 0.001), EE-depression (d = 0.41, p < 0.001), EE-anger/anxiety (d = 0.35, p < 0.001), and EE-boredom (d = 0.38, p < 0.001). A significant, but very small, positive relation was observed between DE behaviors and self-reported EE-positive (d = 0.08, p = 0.01). Subgroup analyses suggested a medium, positive relation between self-reported broad negative EE and binge eating (d = 0.53, p < 0.001) and a small, positive relation between self-reported broad negative EE and dietary restraint (d = 0.20, p < 0.001). Significant heterogeneity was identified across all models except for the EE-boredom and DE behaviors model. Higher BMI, but not age, clinical status, or type of DE behavior strengthened the positive relation between self-reported broad negative EE and DE behaviors. Findings support previous research suggesting that negative and positive EE are distinct constructs, with negatively valenced EE being more closely associated with DE behaviors, especially binge eating.
The current study explored the relationships between retrospective parenting styles and food parenting in childhood (≤ 12 years old) and Chinese adults' current maladaptive and adaptive eating ...behaviors. We recruited 501 Chinese adults (50.30% men, aged 19–46 years). A set of questionnaires were used to measure retrospective parenting styles (i.e., emotional warmth, rejection, and overprotection), food parenting (i.e., parental concern, monitoring, pressure to eat, and restriction), and current maladaptive (i.e., disordered eating) and adaptive (i.e., intuitive eating) eating behaviors. Correlation and mediation analyses were employed to analyze these data. Results revealed that retrospective parenting styles and food parenting were significantly related to current maladaptive and adaptive eating behaviors in both Chinese men and women. Mediation analyses showed that higher retrospective parental warmth was related to higher retrospective parental concern which, in turn, was related to higher current disordered eating in men (indirect effect = 0.14, 95% CI 0.08, 0.24). Furthermore, higher retrospective parental overprotection was related to higher retrospective parental pressure to eat which, in turn, was related to higher current disordered eating in men (indirect effect = 0.06, 95% CI 0.01, 0.14). For women, higher retrospective parental warmth was associated with higher retrospective parental concern which, in turn, was associated with lower current intuitive eating in women (indirect effect = −0.04, 95% CI = −0.10, −0.01). Furthermore, higher retrospective parental overprotection was associated with higher retrospective parental concern which, in turn, was associated with lower current intuitive eating in women (indirect effect = −0.03, 95% CI = −0.08, −0.004). The findings indicate the importance of including childhood parenting styles and food parenting in future research and intervention of adults’ current maladaptive and adaptive eating behaviors.
Objective
Relationships exist between food addiction symptoms, weight bias internalization, and psychological distress, yet previous research is primarily cross‐sectional with adults from Western ...contexts. We examined the prospective relationships between food addiction symptoms, weight bias internalization, and psychological distress in Chinese adolescents.
Methods
Over three time points (Time 1, baseline; Time 2, 6‐months; Time 3, 12‐months) spanning 1 year, we examined cross‐sectional and bi‐directional relationships between food addiction symptoms, weight bias internalization, and psychological distress in Chinese adolescents (N = 589; aged 14–18 years at baseline). Pearson correlations and cross‐lagged models examined the cross‐sectional and longitudinal relationships between food addiction symptoms, weight bias internalization, and psychological distress.
Results
Cross‐sectional correlations suggested positive relationships between food addiction symptoms, weight bias internalization, and psychological distress at each time point. Regarding bi‐directional relationships, higher psychological distress was associated with both higher weight bias internalization and higher food addiction symptoms at the following time points. However, food addiction symptoms and weight bias internalization were not prospectively associated. Time 2 psychological distress did not significantly mediate the relationship between Time 1 weight bias internalization and Time 3 food addiction symptoms.
Discussion
Findings suggest no direct longitudinal link between food addiction symptoms and weight bias internalization and vice versa. However, findings do suggest that psychological distress is temporally associated with higher food addiction symptoms and weight bias internalization in Chinese adolescents. Targeting psychological distress may prove useful in treatments of food addiction symptoms and weight bias internalization in Chinese adolescents.
Public Significance
Positive associations exist between food addiction symptoms, weight bias internalization, and psychological distress, but findings are largely cross‐sectional and bound to adult populations from Western contexts. Using a longitudinal design in Chinese adolescents, findings suggested that baseline psychological distress was associated with higher food addiction symptoms and higher weight bias internalization at follow‐up time points. Treatments targeting psychological distress may be helpful in reducing food addiction symptoms and weight bias internalization 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.
PDF
