Body dissatisfaction mediates the relationship between self-esteem and restrained eating in female undergraduates.

Abstract

Introduction Restrained eating is generally defined as a persistent fixation on dieting, weight, and food, such that the type and amount of food eaten is restricted for the purpose of weight loss or maintenance (Ruderman, 1985). Much to their dismay, restrained eaters commonly experience weight fluctuations, due to alternations between dieting and pronounced lapses in dietary adherence (Ruderman, 1985). Dietary restriction has been implicated as a risk factor in the development of obesity, binge-eating, and clinically diagnosable eating disorders, such as bulimia nervosa (Stice, Presnell, & Spangler, 2002). Although there are several qualitative differences in the psychological characteristics of restrained eaters and individuals with bulimia nervosa, there is evidence of similarities, including a willingness to describe oneself in negative terms, low self-esteem, heightened social anxiety, and body dissatisfaction (Striegel-Moore, Silberstein, & Rodin, 1993). Ruderman and Besbeas (1992) concluded that while dieting may not be the sole cause of bulimia nervosa, dietary restriction and lapses may be necessary for its development. Consequently, restricted eating and dietary lapses among restrained eaters should be studied with the ultimate goal of preventing eating disorders. Although preventing eating disorders is a key objective in researching restrained eaters, the restrained eating lifestyle also should be studied because of the distress it causes individuals in its own right. Much research indicates that when exposed to personally-relevant stressors, restrained eaters' eating becomes disinhibited, resulting in the consumption of significantly larger quantities of food than when not distressed (Heatherton, Striepe, & Wittenberg, 1998; Oliver, Huon, Zadro, & Williams, 2001; Tanofsky-Kraff, Wilfley, & Spurrell, 2000). Disinhibition itself is then an additional stressor, not only due to the potential weight gain caused by the overeating, but also because the disinhibited eating is perceived by restrained eaters as a reflection of their inability to control their eating. In turn, this may generalize to a broader feeling of personal inefficacy and low self-esteem (Polivy, Heatherton, & Herman, 1988). Interestingly, non-restrained eaters tend to eat less when distressed than when they are not distressed, albeit these findings are not quite as robust (Heatherton et al., 1998). Researchers have hypothesized that non-restrainers' appetites are suppressed as a result of stress. Restrained eating is a widespread problem with approximately 25% of college women describing themselves as restrainers (Rand & Kuldau, 1991). Thus, further study of the mechanisms and causes of the dietary disinhibition component is warranted. Evidence suggests that several factors may play an important role in the disinhibition effect, and yet there are many unknowns due to mixed findings across studies. One factor that may contribute to dietary disinhibition is self-esteem. The spiral explains the relationship between self-esteem and dietary restraint by suggesting that lowered self-esteem is caused by failed dietary restraint. Specifically, when restrainers consume more than they deem acceptable, they view themselves as failures with limited self-discipline. Such beliefs develop into general feelings of inefficacy and low self-esteem (Heatherton & Polivy, 1992; Polivy, et al., 1988). Lower self-esteem and feelings of inefficacy may lead to further lapses in dietary restraint, leading to even lower self-esteem. Thus, self-esteem spirals downwards as a function of restraint failure. A second model explaining the relationship between self-esteem and dietary restraint is the cognitive-behavioral model of bulimia nervosa (Vitousek, 1996). This model proposes that the link between self-esteem and dietary restraint is not direct, but is instead mediated by overconcern with weight and shape (Byrne & McLean, 2002). …