In Part 1 of this thesis the interaction of personality variables in predicting risk of disordered eating is examined. Shyness and an interaction between neuroticism and introversion were found to increase risk of disordered eating in independent university samples. These findings highlight a potential genetic susceptibility to eating pathology by demonstrating similar personality vulnerabilities in clinical eating disorders, as in nonclinical disordered eating. However, the implications and generalizations that can be drawn from these first two studies are limited by the equivocal relationship between disordered eating and eating disorders. Part 2 of the thesis examines the continuum theory of eating disorders. A theoretical hypothesis is introduced and offers a framework for thinking of thoughts separate from behaviours. Through a review ofexisting literature, it is noted that eating disorder thoughts are far more prevalent than the behaviours, and while the thoughts can occur independent of the behaviours, behaviours are necessarily tied to pathological thoughts. Preliminary empirical support for this hypothesis is presented by modeling eating disorder thoughts and behaviours as distinct latent constructs in a confirmatory factor analysis using data from a large sample of university females. Frequency analyses of eating disorder thoughts and behaviours offered support for the argument that eating disorder symptoms are not normally distributed across non-clinical settings. As predicted, thoughts occurred independent of the behaviours, and behaviours occurred only in conjunction with thoughts. The interaction of eating disorder thoughts with eating disorder behaviours provided the most robust predictor of psychopathology, although the relative contribution of thoughts and behaviours to psychopathology was not equivalent. These results were replicated in a national epidemiological sample offemales ages 15 to 34 years, and the findings were consistent with results from the university sample. Behaviours were more consistently associated with psychopathology in both the university sample and the national sample. The contribution of this thesis to the field of epidemiological research in eating disorders is through the recommendation that screening instruments use behaviours to identify cases and a high threshold of thoughts in risk assessment. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Magister Psychologiae - MPsych / Anorexia nervosa is a debilitating disorder with dangerous potential health consequences. Body dissatisfaction is an important aetiological aspect of the development and maintenance of Anorexia Nervosa (AN). The purpose of this research study was to ascertain how clinical psychologists assess body dissatisfaction and how they formulate treatment for AN considering body dissatisfaction. In this qualitative study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 9 registered clinical psychologists who specifically work in the area of eating disorders. The information provided by the participants was analysed using thematic analysis. Participants were recruited using snowball sampling. Sampling, data collection and analysis occurred concurrently until saturation was reached after 9 interviews have been conducted. Permission to conduct the study was obtained from the Senate Research Ethics Committee (Social and Human Sciences) of the university of the Western Cape. Participation was voluntary and could be withdrawn at any time without fear of negative consequence or loss of perceived benefit. Ethics principles were strictly adhered to in the management of data and dissemination of findings. Potential participants received an information sheet detailing what participation entailed, as well as the rights and responsibilities of the student researcher and research participants respectively. An indication was also provided of the recourse participants had in the event of dissatisfaction with or concerns about the study. The research contributed to the knowledge base of how body dissatisfaction is conceptualised and operationalised in treatment planning for patients presenting with AN. Findings revealed that the role of theory is essential as it facilitates an explanatory system, which creates an understanding of body dissatisfaction in AN. Another finding was that the participants had their own subjective operationalisation of body dissatisfaction but feels that it is important to formally operationalise body dissatisfaction in anorexia nervosa. In terms of treatment, the participants believed that a multimodal approach is the most beneficial when treating body dissatisfaction in anorexia nervosa.

Despite the fact that eating disorders (EDs) and their subclinical variants are important health concerns, very little research has examined eating pathology and body image, including the factors that may contribute to their development, in New Zealand. Based on the Sociocultural Model of Eating Pathology, this thesis comprises four studies that aimed to identify the factors that may interact with different parts of this model to predict eating pathology. As part of each study, the cross-cultural validity of the assessment measures used was also examined. Across all four studies, the prevalence rates of eating pathology and associated pathology were comparable to overseas estimates. Participants for Study One were 243 adolescent girls recruited from secondary school in Christchurch, New Zealand. Participants completed questionnaires assessing eating pathology, body dissatisfaction, negative affect, perfectionism, self-esteem, teasing and perceived sociocultural pressure. Regression analyses demonstrated that body dissatisfaction, socially prescribed (SP) perfectionism and negative affect uniquely predicted eating pathology in the adolescent sample. Moderator analyses indicated that high levels of SP and self-oriented (SO) perfectionism, negative affect, perceived pressure from others and the media, and low levels of self-esteem all increased the effect of body dissatisfaction on eating pathology among adolescents. Study Two examined the same risk factors among 170 preadolescent girls from primary schools in Christchurch, New Zealand, and found that body dissatisfaction, SP perfectionism and teasing independently predicted eating pathology. High levels of SO and SP perfectionism, perceived media pressure and low levels of self-esteem strengthened the body dissatisfaction-eating pathology relation. The goal of Study Three was to test the factors that serve to amplify the risk of internalising societal standards of thinness among 202 university women recruited from the University of Canterbury, New Zealand. The participants completed questionnaires measuring perfectionism, sociocultural pressure to be thin, anorectic cognitions and anti-fat attitudes. Results indicated that social pressure and information about appearance standards independently predicted thin ideal internalization but no statistically significant moderators were found. Finally, taking another approach to studying women at high or low risk for eating problems, Study Four sought to examine and describe the characteristics of women with a high body mass index (BMI; kg/m2) who were not dissatisfied with their bodies and also women who were dissatisfied with their bodies but were not engaging in pathological eating behaviour. Participants were 166 university women recruited from the University of Canterbury who completed the Personality Assessment Inventory (1991) and questionnaires relating to body dissatisfaction and eating pathology. Both of the above-mentioned groups were characterised by lower overall distress, such as lower levels of anxiety, depression and borderline features. Overall, this research suggests that disordered eating and body image concerns occur among New Zealand women, adolescent and preadolescent girls at rates similar to Europe and North America. There was reasonable support for the validity of many of the assessment measures used. The research also highlights some factors that may influence the development of eating pathology among these populations and provides possible leads for future longitudinal research and, ultimately, prevention efforts.

Research has shown that body image plays a principle role in predicting the occurrence and extent of eating disordered symptomatology. The term 'body image' has multiple definitions but is most commonly used to refer to self-perceptions of body weight and shape. Evidence shows that Western socio-cultural beliefs encourage females to strive for an extremely thin, unrealistically small figure. The difficulties obtaining this thin-ideal have lead to the development of body image dissatisfaction (BID). Because the thin-ideal is a Western construct, BID was thought to effect only Western, White women, however, research shows that body image concerns and consequently eating pathology are appearing in non-Western, ethnic minority groups where they were once unknown. This has been attributed to increasing contact between ethnic minority groups and Western cultural mores. This would suggest that the degree of attachment a minority individual feels towards their ethnic identity is likely to moderate the development of BID and thus eating concerns. This thesis compared levels of body image dissatisfaction amongst ethnic groups in New Zealand, focussing particularly on Māori and Pakeha. No differences were found to exist amongst these groups with regards to body image dissatisfaction and eating pathology regardless of ethnic attachment. The information found has consequences for clinicians working with clients of Māori extraction and those researching body image dissatisfaction in New Zealand.

abstract: The relations among internalization of the U.S. sociocultural standard of the ideal male body image, male body dissatisfaction, and behavioral and psychological outcomes of male body dissatisfaction were examined in a sample of 215 ethnically diverse male college students. Concerns regarding accurate assessment of male body dissatisfaction were addressed. Structural equation modeling was utilized to identify the relations among the internalization of the sociocultural ideal male body image, male body dissatisfaction (as measured by the Male Body Attitudes Scale, MBAS; Tylka, Bergeron, & Schwartz, 2005), and behavioral and psychological outcomes. Results demonstrated that internalization of specific aspects of the ideal male body (lean and muscular) predicted corresponding components of male body dissatisfaction (lean and muscular). Further, each component of male body dissatisfaction was related to distinct behavioral and psychological outcomes. Implications for clinical practice and research were discussed. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Counseling Psychology 2013

No description available.

Orthorexia Nervosa (ON) is the term for a proposed new eating disorder, used to describe a pathological obsession with healthy or ‘clean’ eating. For individuals with ON, the obsession with eating ‘healthy’ foods, and the elimination of foods considered ‘unhealthy’ or ‘impure’, results in impairment to social, physical, occupational and/or other areas of functioning. Whilst there is still debate as to whether ON describes a distinct eating disorder, and there is no consensus around diagnostic criteria as yet, ON is an emerging topic for research, with more cases coming to light both clinically, and in the media. Although some quantitative research has been carried out in ON, particularly focusing on the measurement and prevalence rates of this proposed disorder, no qualitative studies have been published to date to explore individuals’ personal experiences of ON. Thus, for this project, 40 pre-existing blog entries describing first-person experiences of ON from fifteen women bloggers were analysed using thematic analysis. Five key themes were identified: 1) confusion around diagnosis, 2) initial motivations for a healthier lifestyle, 3) fuelling the problem- social influences, 4) when healthy becomes unhealthy ..., and 5) avoidance, isolation and compensation. The clinical implications of these findings were explored, particularly focusing on the social context of ON, diagnostic crossover between ON and other eating disorders, and the role of fear, perfectionism and perceived control. Whilst the debate around the diagnosis of ON continues, these bloggers’ accounts suggest that ON is experienced as a legitimate and debilitating disorder, worthy of clinical and research investigation in its own right.

xii, 98 p. : ill. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number. / The purpose of this study was to examine how conversations about appearance between adolescents and their best friends predicted eating pathology during adolescence and early adulthood. Participants were 711 adolescents and their best friends who were observed using a videotaped observation protocol and completing a number of conversational tasks. The tapes of these friend dyads were coded for content relating to attitudes and behaviors regarding appearance, weight, and dieting. There were four types of appearance talk related to comments about other people's appearance, their best friend's appearance, their own weight and dieting, and other people's weight and dieting. Appearance talk was frequent in conversations between adolescents, especially comments about other people's appearance. Eating pathology was measured using the Eating Attitudes Test-26 during adolescence and as a symptom count during early adulthood. Eating pathology during adolescence predicted eating pathology during early adulthood. Adolescents who met clinical criteria for an eating disorder had higher rates of appearance talk than those who did not meet criteria. Multiple regression was used to examine the relationship between eating pathology and the four types of appearance talk. For females, talking about their best friend's appearance predicted adolescent and early adult eating pathology. For males, talking about their own weight and dieting predicted adolescent eating pathology. Talking about other people's weight and dieting also predicted early adult eating pathology for both males and females, even when controlling for adolescent eating pathology. Although appearance talk was common among adolescents, specific types of appearance talk predicted eating pathology differently for males and females. Furthermore, the most frequent types of appearance talk for males and females were not those that predicted eating pathology. This study supports the importance of the influence of friendship on eating pathology. Treatment implications are informed by these findings. This study informs future research and suggests the importance of observational methods in examining conversations about appearance. / Committee in charge: Elizabeth Stormshak, Chairperson, Counseling Psychology and Human Services; Krista Chronister, Member, Counseling Psychology and Human Services; Paul Yovanoff, Member, Educational Methodology, Policy, and Leadership; Thomas Dishion, Outside Member, Psychology

No description available.

No description available.