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The Impact of Feminist Identity and Weight Bias on Body Image Disturbance and Eating Disorder Pathology in Treatment-Seeking Women

Martin-Wagar, Caitlin A
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1594291265930152

Abstract Details

2020, Doctor of Philosophy, University of Akron, Counseling Psychology.
Eating disorders are associated with serious psychological and physical health problems (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2013). Body image disturbance plays a vital role in the development and maintenance of eating disorders, especially for women (Culbert, Racine, & Klump, 2015). Self-objectification has been found to be a strong predictor of who is at highest risk of being impacted by societal messages about appearance and weight (Moradi & Huang, 2008). However, more information is needed about both protective and risk factors for internalizing these messages. Though several sociocultural factors have been examined in relation to body image, these studies have been conducted primarily with non-clinical college populations (Yager & O’Dea, 2008). In a sample of 100 women with diagnosed eating disorders, several sociocultural factors were explored as factors potentially impacting the severity of body image disturbance. Experiences of weight bias, internalized weight bias, and self-objectification were found to be related to increased body image disturbance and eating pathology, whereas feminist self-identification was overall not found to be significantly related to body image disturbance. These variables were examined in a conditional mediation model seeking to better understanding body image disturbance in this transdiagnostic sample of women with eating disorders. Results indicate that experiences of weight bias impact body image disturbance through internalized weight bias and self-objectification. However, feminist identity was not found to moderate this relationship. The findings in this study provide initial support for a model relating experiences of weight bias, internalized weight bias, self-objectification, and body image disturbance in women with a diagnosed eating disorder. Results also suggest that the role of weight bias deserves further examination in eating disorder treatment studies. Finally, results from this study suggest that sexism and weight bias may function as entirely self-sustainable systems of oppression. Thus, feminist self-identification does not necessarily protect eating disorder women from internalizing weight bias. More research is needed to more thoroughly understand the role of sociocultural variables in clinical populations of women with eating disorders.
Ingrid Weigold (Advisor)
Dawn Johnson (Committee Member)
John Queener (Committee Member)
Margo Gregor (Committee Member)
Stacey Nofziger (Committee Member)
196 p.
Psychology
weight bias, body image, eating disorders, feminism, feminist identity, self-objectification

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Martin-Wagar, C. A. (2020). The Impact of Feminist Identity and Weight Bias on Body Image Disturbance and Eating Disorder Pathology in Treatment-Seeking Women [Doctoral dissertation, University of Akron]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1594291265930152

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Martin-Wagar, Caitlin. The Impact of Feminist Identity and Weight Bias on Body Image Disturbance and Eating Disorder Pathology in Treatment-Seeking Women . 2020. University of Akron, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1594291265930152.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Martin-Wagar, Caitlin. "The Impact of Feminist Identity and Weight Bias on Body Image Disturbance and Eating Disorder Pathology in Treatment-Seeking Women ." Doctoral dissertation, University of Akron, 2020. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1594291265930152

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

akron1594291265930152
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This open access ETD is published by University of Akron and OhioLINK.