Is Self-Esteem the Primary Predictor of Disordered Eating?

This study examined whether self-esteem is the primary predictor of disordered eating. A survey measured levels of self-esteem and a variety of other health behaviors in 196 male and 263 female undergraduate students. We conducted stepwise regressions to determine which of several variables (self-esteem, high stress, poor coping skills, maladaptive perfectionism, gender) best predicted disordered eating. The results indicated that self-esteem was the secondary predictor for bulimia, drive for thinness, and body dissatisfaction. Future research should further investigate how self-esteem interacts with other predictor variables to better determine the relationship between self-esteem and disordered eating. Eating disorders are becoming increasingly common among American college students today. Precise estimates of incidence and prevalence vary, but tend to range from about 3% to 10% for females 15-29 years of age (Polivy & Herman, 2002) and about 2.4% for males (Espina, Ortego, Ochoa, Aleman, & Juaniz, 2002). Although a majority of the research in the field of eating disorders focuses on women, recently attention to these topics in males has been on the rise (Pope, Phillips, & Olivardia, 2002). In fact, it has been estimated that 10% of the people with anorexia and bulimia nervosa are men (Weltzin et al., 2005). It is undisputed that low self-esteem contributes to disordered eating. For example, Button, Loan, Davies, and Sonuga-Barke (1997) found that girls who displayed eating disordered behaviors also reported lower self-esteem. In addition, girls with higher levels of disordered eating behaviors displayed higher levels of overall dissatisfaction with themselves, their appearance, and their family relationships. Furthermore, it has been shown that low selfesteem is positively correlated to disordered eating in college students (Granillo, Jones-Rodriguez, & Carvajal, 2005) and a decrease in self-esteem contributes to poorer body image (Abell & Richards, 1996; Gleason, Alexander, & Somers, 2000) and bulimic symptoms (Vohs, Bardone, Joiner, Abramson, & Heatherton, 1999). Certainly a number of other factors such as stress, perfectionism, coping styles and gender also influence disordered eating, but to what degree is unknown. Below, we will discuss how self-esteem and various other factors impact eating pathologies. Self-esteem In a longitudinal study of women conducted by Gilbert and Meyer (2005), results revealed that low self-esteem predicted an increase in body dissatisfaction and that negative evaluation fears predicted an increase in bulimic attitudes and depression. This result supports the idea that with low self-esteem as a primary catalyst, followed by dissatisfaction of one’s body, bulimic symptoms and/or depression can follow. Perhaps, these fears of negative evaluation stem from societal and cultural pressures to be thin and that value thin as the ideal (Finstad, 2003). Finstad found that this internalization and personal investment in the thin-ideal, coupled with disordered eating scores, was predicted by lower self-esteem as well as greater importance placed on appearance as a source of selfesteem in adolescent females. Further research is consistent with Finstad’s findings. A study conducted in Denmark indicated that women suffering from an eating disorder had lower self-esteem, used more inefficient coping methods, and were exposed to more stress than those who were not struggling with disordered eating (Blaase & Elklit, 2001). In 2005, a number of researchers examined body image dissatisfaction in obese men and women seeking surgery to solve the problem. In men, 56% of the variance was accounted for by binge eating and self-esteem, whereas it was 33% of the variance in women (Grilo, Masheb, Brody, Burke-Martindale, & Rothschild, 2005). Their findings indicate a need for more understanding regarding self-esteem and its relationship to body image dissatisfaction in those who are obese. Shapiro (1999) completed a second study regarding self-esteem and those who are overweight.