Abstract
The aim of this study was to examine the role of restrained eaters’ neuroticism level in thinness fantasy and attentional bias for food following exposure to thin-ideal images. Eighty-five female participants were classified into four groups on the basis of their dietary restraint (restrained/unrestrained eaters) and neuroticism level (high/low). They completed self-reports (mood, body dissatisfaction level) on a visual analog scale before and after exposure to thin-ideal images, and then their attentional bias for food was measured using eye-movements. Results indicated that after exposure to thin-ideal images, positive affect was more decreased in restrained eaters with high neuroticism compared to other groups and negative affect was increased in all groups except unrestrained eaters with low neuroticism. Also, restrained eaters with high neuroticism showed a heightened vigilance for food. These findings underscore the role of neuroticism in restrained eaters as a moderating factor of thinness fantasy.
Highlights
Dietary restraint refers to intentional individual efforts to limit food intake for weight loss or weight control (Herman and Polivy, 1975); the behavior increases risk for onset and maintenance disordered eating such as binge eating and bulimic symptoms (Stice, 2001)
restrained eaters with high neuroticism (R-H) group and restrained eaters with low neuroticism (R-L) group had higher scores in Restraint Scale (RS) compared to unrestrained eaters with high neuroticism (U-H) group and unrestrained eaters with low neuroticism (U-L) group (F(1,81) = 420.51, p < 0.001, ηp2 = 0.84)
R-H group and U-H group had higher scores in NEO-PI-R compared to R-L group and U-L group (F(1,81) = 373.04, p < 0.001, ηp2 = 0.82)
Summary
Dietary restraint refers to intentional individual efforts to limit food intake for weight loss or weight control (Herman and Polivy, 1975); the behavior increases risk for onset and maintenance disordered eating such as binge eating and bulimic symptoms (Stice, 2001). Images portrayed in the mass media depicting extremely thin and attractive bodies influences restrained eaters, and for some, they set a goal of emulating the thin-ideals portrayed. Thinness fantasy is cognitive processing that restrained eaters perceive the thin-ideal goal as personally attainable; they believe or fantasize that they can be thinner in order to achieve the ideal body. This makes them feel thinner, and self-enhancement, such as increased positive affect and body-esteem, and temporarily disinhibit their eating (Mills et al, 2002). Restrained eaters who viewed commercial advertisements depicting thin models consumed more food than others who viewed plus size model or product-only advertisements (Warren et al, 2005)
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