Self-esteem components in eating disordered women : body-image disturbance, body dissatisfaction, and cultural and individual body shape ideals

This study examined the differences between eating disordered and non-eating disordered women on self-deficits, specifically self-esteem, body-image disturbance, and body dissatisfaction. In addition, the existence of a cultural and individual ideal body shape was investigated. It was expected that eating disordered women, compared to non-eating disordered women would exhibit lower self-esteem, higher body dissatisfaction and a greater degree of body overestimation (as measured by the waist). Furthermore, it was expected that eating disordered women would choose a thinner cultural and individual ideal shape than the non-eating disordered women. The subjects were 82 females aged 19 to 40 years. The eating disordered group was recruited from a local support group and subjects met either the DSM-III (1980) criteria for anorexia nervosa, or Russell's (1979) criteria for bulimia nervosa. None of these subjects were hospitalized at the time of testing. Non-eating disordered subjects were nursing students recruited from a local college. The Eating Attitudes Test was administered to these subjects as a screening device to ensure that no subjects were included who had a mild eating disorder. All subjects completed a test package: The Eating Attitudes Test; The Adult Self-Perception Profile; The Eating Disorder Inventory; and a demographic sheet. At a second interview, subjects completed a body-image estimation procedure (Askevold, 1975), the cultural and individual ideal questions (Perceived Body Image Scale, Manley & LePage, 1986), and were weighed and measured for height. A one-way multivariate analysis of variance was computed for measures of self-esteem, body dissatisfaction and body-image disturbance, examining differences between the two groups. Significant differences were found for self-esteem and body dissatisfaction (p < .001), with body-image disturbance approaching significance (p < .06). An investigation of the means revealed that eating.disordered women showed less self-worth, more ineffectiveness and experienced greater body dissatisfaction, than did non-eating disordered women. While body-image disturbance was present in both groups, the eating disordered group showed a slightly greater tendency to overestimate their waist area than did the non-eating disordered group. A Chi square analysis computed for the cultural and individual ideals revealed the eating disordered group chose a significantly thinner cultural ideal shape (p < .05) and individual ideal shape (p < .001) than the non-eating disordered group. Both groups chose a very narrow range of acceptable female shapes to represent the cultural and individual ideal body shapes. Implications for these results and suggestions for future research are discussed.Education, Faculty ofEducational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education (ECPS), Department ofGraduat