Lisa R. Silberstein

Behavioral and psychological implications of body dissatisfaction: Do men and women differ?

The relationships of body satisfaction, self-esteem, dieting, and exercise were studied in 92 men and women. Men and women did not differ in degree of body dissatisfaction as assessed by three different measures. However, on the direction of body dissatisfaction, men were as likely to want to be heavier as thinner, whereas virtually no women wished to be heavier. Although overall body esteem was correlated with self-esteem for both men and women, measures of weight dissatisfaction were not associated with self-esteem for women. The normative nature of weight dissatisfaction for women today may serve to buffer its effects on self-esteem. Women reported exercising for weight control more than men, and exercising for weight control was associated with disregulated eating.

A prospective study of disordered eating among college students

The prevalence of disordered eating among college students was assessed at the beginning and the end of the freshman year. The study aimed to identify factors related to worsening of disordered eating during the year. Questionnaires were completed by 590 males and 450 females at baseline and 546 males and 403 females at follow-up. At baseline, the prevalence of bulimia nervosa was 3.8% for females and 0.2% for males. The prevalence of disordered eating symptoms was considerably higher. The prevalence of bulimia nervosa at follow-up was virtually unchanged. However, many students experienced an onset of disordered eating during the year. Analyses of changes during the year revealed that worsening of disordered eating among females was associated with increasingly dysphoric feelings about weight, decreased ratings of their attractiveness, high perceived stress, increased weight dissatisfaction, and increased ineffectiveness.

Feminity/masculinity and disordered eating in women: How are they related?

Issues around femininity and masculinity have been implicated as etiological variables in the development of eating disorders among women. However, previous research on this subject has produced inconsistent results. This study examined the hypothesis that this inconsistency is due partially to incomplete conceptualizations of sex role orientation. Three aspects of the current female sex role stereotype were considered to be related to symptoms of eating disorders: importance of physical appearance, importance of masculine and feminine traits, and the number of roles a woman considers central to her identity. A non-clinical sample of 45 female undergraduates completed a battery of questionnaires. Results showed no relationship between a standard measure of femininity (the PAQ) and disordered eating. However, importance of appearance was related to both femininity and disordered eating. Furthermore, placing greater importance on possessing socially desirable masculine traits was a significant predictor of disordered eating. Finally, subjects who felt that many roles rather than few roles were central to their sense of self obtained high scores on a measure of disordered eating. These findings are discussed in light of the “superwoman” image and disordered eating, and arguments are made for the development of more complete conceptualizations of masculinity and femininity.

Competing on all fronts: Achievement orientation and disordered eating

Strikingly high prevalence rates of symptoms of disordered eating among college women have been documented. The question arises as to whether one aspect of the college experience, achievement orientation, is associated with disordered eating. Competing hypotheses may be generated regarding the relationship between achievement orientation and disordered eating, with arguments for either a positive or negative relationship. The Work and Family Orientation Questionnaire (WOFO) and the Disordered Eating Symptoms Scale (DESS) were administered to 668 female undergraduate college students. Multivariate analysis of the WOFO subscales revealed that women with high levels of disordered eating obtained significantly higher scores on the Competitiveness subscale than women with low DESS scores. These findings support hypotheses of a positive relationship between competitiveness and disordered eating.

Risk and protective factors in the development of psychopathology: Vulnerability and resilience in the age of eating disorders: risk and protective factors for bulimia nervosa

Over the past two decades, bulimia nervosa has emerged as a significant mental health problem. The syndrome of bulimia nervosa is characterized by recurrent episodes of binge eating, during which the individual experiences a lack of control, followed by regular engagement in self-induced vomiting, laxative use, or severely restrictive dieting. Today, as a female passes through adolescence and enters adulthood, she is at considerable risk for developing bulimia nervosa (Striegel-Moore, Silberstein, & Rodin, 1986b). The pioneering work of Garmezy on risk and protective factors in the development of psychopathology (Garmezy, 1974, 1976, 1981; Garmezy & Streitman, 1974) has stimulated us to consider further in this chapter those factors that serve a risk or protective function in the development of bulimia nervosa. Following Garmezys ground-breaking work on schizophrenia, we suggest that research on bulimia nervosa must encompass not only the study of bulimic individuals but also the study of women who appear resistant to the disorder. In this chapter we consider what is known about the risk and protective factors for bulimia nervosa.1 The information is incomplete and often tentative. Research on protective factors, in particular, has been virtually nonexistent in the study of eating disorders. We propose that they merit empirical study in the important tradition of theory and research begun by Garmezy and his students and colleagues (Garmezy, 1984, 1985a).