1 minute read
College of Arts & Sciences
Kanyinsola Yoloye
College of Arts & Sciences
Advertisement
Psychology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Michael R. Lowe
Psychology
Amani D. Piers Co-Mentor
The Impact of Dieting to Lose Weight in Women with Eating Disorders
Restrictive eating is a distinguishing feature of Anorexia Nervosa (AN) and Bulimia Nervosa (BN). Although dietary restraint is a core feature of these disorders, the motivation behind restrictive eating can vary amongst afflicted individuals and may differentially relate to the psychological severity of the disorder. The purpose of the study was to characterize the subgroup of those “dieting to lose weight” (DLW) from the overall group of individuals seeking residential treatment for AN or BN. Participants completed measures such as the Anxiety Sensitivity Index, Eating Disorder Examination and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Physical measures like Body Mass Index and weight suppression (the difference between someone’s historically highest weight and their current weight) were also obtained. Using t-tests, differences on all measures between those DLW and non-dieters were examined. Individuals DLW had worse psychological symptoms (e.g., anxiety, eating disorder severity) compared to non-dieters. This may suggest that dieting reflects particularly intense distress about oneself and one’s body in patients with either AN or BN. Dieting may be a counterproductive attempt to cope with the eating disorder.
