Body Dissatisfaction and Disordered Eating Among Jewish Women: The Role of Religious Orientation and Spiritual Well-Being

Abstract

Numerous psychological, cultural, and biological variables have been investigated in the etiology of eating disorders (EDs) and their risk factors such as body dissatisfaction and a preoccupation with weight and appearance. Despite its historical link to EDs, the role of religion has largely been ignored. Most studies investigating religious influences on ED symptoms use the terms religion and spirituality interchangeably and do not include Jewish women. Studies that have included Jewish women used a single variable (e.g., attendance at religious service) to measure religiosity, which does not adequately capture the nature of one’s religious beliefs and practices. In a sample of 301 adolescent and young Jewish women, this study assessed participants’ religious orientation and spiritual beliefs to elucidate the possible differential influences of these variables on body dissatisfaction and disordered eating. Results revealed that participants with an intrinsic religious orientation had consistently lower scores (indicating less pathology) on measures of body dissatisfaction and eating disturbance as compared to those with an extrinsic, pro-religious, or anti-religious orientation. High levels of spiritual well-being were moderately associated with lower levels of body dissatisfaction but showed no association with disordered eating. Overall, these findings suggest that having an intrinsic religious orientation may confer protection from eating and body image disturbance.