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Aims: The present study aimed to examine construct validity of the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire-R18 (TFEQ-R18) and to investigate variables of the following phenomena: cognitive restraint, uncontrolled eating and emotional eating in normal weight women and women with obesity. Methods: The research sample comprised 237 participants (200 with normal weight and 37 obese); the TFEQ-R18 was distributed to all participants at the same time. Results: We found that the three-factor structure is invariant at each level - configural, metric, scalar and strict. Individuals with obesity scored significantly higher than individuals within normal weight range in uncontrolled eating (p = 0.005) and emotional eating (p = 0.053). Conclusions: Ambiguities between the results of the current and other studies may be explained in terms of controlling the shared variance and measurement error, since only up to date summarized scores were compared across groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research focused on body image issues has increased since the mid-twentieth century. Distortions in size perception, as well as body dissatisfaction, related to eating disorders, refer to body image disturbance. In this paper, the multidimensional model of eating disorders, the sociocultural model of the development of eating pathology, the 'transdiagnostic' theory and treatment of eating disorders, and the reward-centred model for the development and maintenance of anorexia nervosa have been described. In the first three models, body dissatisfaction has been found to play a relevant role. The fourth is presented as a transtheoretical model of eating disorders, which was created based on a review of previous studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Eating Attitudes Test (EAT) is one of the most commonly used measures of abnormal eating habits; however, it has been criticized for its unstable factorial structure. Different studies proposed different solutions, but as yet there is no consensus whether the three-, five- or seven-factor solution is appropriate. We examined the cues provided by previous studies that investigated the EAT structure, and tested our expectations on a nonclinical group of 617 women. Based on bi-factor confirmatory factor analysis, we demonstrated that the EAT measures general eating pathology as well as more specific factors, such as 'Social pressure', 'Food awareness', 'Food preoccupation' and 'Purging behaviors'. Among distinguished specific factors, 'Social pressure' seems to be a promising scale to be used for screening purposes. The 'Food awareness' factor could be interpreted in terms of orthorexia nervosa; however, further evidence is required to support this conclusion. We also provided evidence that 'Bulimia' and 'Food preoccupation' factors should be maintained within the EAT-26 as important behavioral aspects of eating pathology. These results shed new light on this measure and provide the basis for a discussion of its psychometric issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Polish studies have not been focused on measures which assess attitude toward one's own body. The purpose of the present study was to develop the Polish version of the Body Attitude Test (BAT) and examine its reliability. Methods. The study included 48 patients with anorexia nervosa, 39 patients with bulimia nervosa as well as 115 female university students who had never suffered from any eating disorder. The mean age was 18.69 years (SD = 3.52) in women with anorexia nervosa, 22.28 years (SD = 3.79) in women with bulimia nervosa as well as 20.53 years (SD = 1.79) in women without a current eating disorder. The mean duration of illness was 3.31 years (SD = 2.71) in patients suffering from anorexia nervosa and 5.10 years (SD = 2.92) in patients with bulimia nervosa, respectively. Results. The BAT demonstrates satisfactory levels of internal reliability (α = 0.892). The BAT was strongly related with the Eating Disorder Inventory subscales: drive for thinness (r = 0.687, p < 0.001), ineffectiveness (r = 0.643, p < 0.001) and body dissatisfaction (r = 0.634, p < 0.001) and the Self-Esteem Inventory subscale: familial self-esteem (r = -0.601, p < 0.001). Discussion. The results support the criterion validity of the BAT which is able to differentiate clinical from non-clinical subjects. Conclusions. The Polish version of the BAT could be used as an appropriate measure assessing subjective attitude towards the body in women with and without eating disorders in Poland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this article was to describe the phenomenon of a new disorder called orthorexia nervosa. This paper proposes a theoretical framework for the definitions, prevalence, diagnostic criteria, method and treatment of orthorexia. This disturbing behaviour concerns the pathologic obsession for healthy nutrition. In contrast to eating disorders, people with orthorexia are obsessed with food quality rather than quantity and they do not care excessively for thin silhouette like in the case of patients with anorexia and bulimia nervosa. Individuals with orthorexia nervosa are obsessive about healthy food, leading to dietary restrictions and to a variety of negative psychological and social outcomes. The results of previous research show that on the one hand orthorexia is related to anorexia and bulimia nervosa, and on the other hand this syndrome is more closely allied with obsessive-compulsive disorders. In view of the studies presented here we could treat orthorexia as a disturbed eating habit which is connected with obsessive--compulsive symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim. The purpose of the present study was to assess body dissatisfaction, body size perception, restricting and compensative behaviours in relation to body as well as attitudes towards appearance in women with anorexia readiness syndrome (ARS). Methods. The study included 79 women, among all women, 24 presented ARS. The control group consisted of 55 healthy female students. The Contour Drawing Rating Scale, the Body Dissatisfaction Scale, the Eating Attitudes Test, the Sociocultural Attitudes Appearance Questionnaire and the Physical Activity Scale were used in this study. Results. Women with ARS had poorer body image and worse eating behaviour compared to healthy controls. Actual-ought discrepancy and oral control moderately determined body dissatisfaction in women with ARS. Conclusion. Women with ARS are strongly body-oriented and they have a tendency to distort their body image. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim. The purpose of the study was to assess the body image disturbance in patients with eating disorders. Methods. The clinical samples include 25 women with anorexia nervosa, 25 with bulimia nervosa and 30 normal weight women. All participants were assessed with the Body Attitude Test, the Body Dissatisfaction Scale and the Contour Drawing Rating Scale and their clinical and sociodemographic features were recorded. Results. In patients with anorexia ideal self, that is one's representation of the attributes that someone would like the person to possess (the patient's perspective), is less pathological compared to the patients with bulimia. However, the ought self, that is, one's representation of the attributes that someone believes the person should possess (the perceived perspective of family and friends), is more pathological in group with anorexia nervosa. Conclusions. The correlations between the examined variables of body image, as well as the results of a structural analysis using PRINCALS, were interpreted at the light of the state-of-the-art in body image disturbance. Results are discussed on the background of social comparison literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim. Self-esteem as well as emotion-oriented and problem-oriented coping strategies were examined as a possible predictive factors for body dissatisfaction in an obese female population. This study also examined the relationship between dissatisfaction with one's own body, self-esteem and stress-coping behaviours. Method. The study population consisted of 123 women, among whom there were 63 obese female (mean BMI = 37.0, SD = 8.0) and 60 non-obese female individuals (mean BMI = 23.0, SD = 7.6). All participants completed the Body Dissatisfaction Scale, the Self-Esteem Inventory and the Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced Scale. Results. Use of emotional support as an emotion-oriented coping strategy, coping planning and general self-esteem are found to be predictive of body dissatisfaction in women with obesity. Body dissatisfaction was positively correlated with behavioural disengagement as a coping strategy and negatively correlated with coping planning, positive reframing coping as well as different dimensions of self-esteem. Conclusion. Dissatisfaction with one's physical appearance in obese women is connected to emotion-oriented coping strategies and low self-esteem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim. The present study was undertaken to assess the relationship between emotional symptoms and locus of control in female patients with anorexia nervosa of different nationalities. Subjects and methods. The sample comprised 62 anorexic patients and 117 healthy women. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and the Internal Powerful Others and Chance Scale were applied in this study. Results. In the dimension of anxiety, depression and locus of control significant statistical differences were observed in clinical groups of different nationalities and between these groups and the control groups. Conclusion. The results confirm studies which concluded that anxiety and depression symptoms and defective experience of control are fundamental factors in the psychopathology of anorexia nervosa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim. This study evaluated the relationship between mood and emotional symptoms and disordered eating behaviours. Material and methods. Sixty women with eating disorders were investigated. The control group consisted of 60 students. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and the Eating Disorder Inventory were applied in this study. Results. It was found that anxiety symptoms in girls with anorexia nervosa significantly correlated with maturity fears, whereas in patients with bulimia they were significantly connected to a drive for thinness. Conclusion. Occurrence of depression and anxiety symptoms suggest a necessity of complex medical and psychological treatment including focus on areas such as psyche and soma [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim. The present study was aimed at examining the evaluation of locus of control and anger in Polish and French populations with eating disorders. Material and method. The clinical participants comprised 30 Polish patients and 14 French patients suffering from bulimia nervosa. The control group consisted of 107 randomly selected students. Measures included the Internal Powerful Others and Chance Scale and the Self-Expression and Control Scale. Results. The results revealed significant differences between the experimental groups and control groups. Conclusion: The results indicate that locus of control, anger expression and anger control appear to be useful variables for understanding eating disorder symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This study sought to determine the dimensions of self-esteem, coping strategies, anger expression and anger control among French women diagnosed with anorexia nervosa. Material and method: A clinical group of 32 females suffering from anorexia and 57 healthy females completed an anonymous questionnaire form concerning family life, their state of health and/or the course of their illness, the Self Esteem Inventory, the Brief COPE evaluation, and the Self-Expression Control Scale. Results: Compared with controls, French anorexic adolescents showed low social, familial and general self-esteem. Eating-disordered women used emotional methods of coping more often than the control group and they conceptualised their anger against themselves. Conclusions: We concluded that anorexia nervosa is inseparably connected with low self-esteem, as well as an inability to cope with one's own emotions, personal problems and feelings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The objectives of our study were two fold: (1) to assess body attitudes among children and their parents, and (2) to analyze the predictors of body attitudes in both groups. Method: The research sample consisted of 37 children, aged between 3 and 7, and 37 parents. We used the Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire-4, the Child Figure Arrays, and the Contour Drawing Rating Scale. Results: Twenty-eight children (75.68%) chose the thin and average silhouettes as the ideal body shapes. The most undesirable silhouette was that indicating obesity (62.16%). We found that a relationship between body dissatisfaction and thin ideal internalization (r = 0.627, p < 0.001), muscular ideal internalization (r = 0.369, p < 0.05), family pressure (r = 0.351, p < 0.05), media pressure (r = 0.702, p < 0.001) and peer pressure (r = 0.428, p < 0.05) made parents wish to change their children's body shape. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression revealed that media pressure among children and body dissatisfaction among their parents were predictors of ideal silhouette in children. In addition, mediation analysis showed that media pressure had mediated the relationship between parents' body dissatisfaction and children's ideal silhouette. Conclusions: Both children and their parents preferred a slim silhouette. Body dissatisfaction was related to internalization of a socially acceptable silhouette and to pressure to change body shape among parents. There is a high risk that parents can model negative attitudes towards the body in their children. This should be considered in psychoeducational prevention programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: The aim was twofold: to evaluate eating attitudes, behaviours and knowledge about eating disorders in young women and men, and to assess the relationship between measurable variables in both groups. Method: The research sample consisted of 34 females and 32 males aged 19-21. The Eating Disorders Examination Questionnaire and the Eating Disorders Awareness Test were distributed to all participants. Results: Female undergraduate students were more concerned about their weight and body shape than male undergraduate students. Their knowledge of issues relevant to eating disorders was higher than in males, and the difference between the two groups was significant. Of all participants, 52.9% of females and 18.75% of males declared an interest in eating disorders. Both women (72.2%) and men (50%) most often derived their knowledge about anorexia and bulimia nervosa from science press books and publications. Moderate positive correlations between food avoidance and body shape and weight concerns were found in both groups. In addition, in females restraint was related to eating concern. Conclusions: Since weight and body shape concerns are considered integral to the psychopathology of eating disorders, prevention of eating-related attitudes and behaviours in young adults particularly females, is important. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: The aims of the study were: (1) to evaluate an ideal body stereotype internalization and a sociocultural attitudes towards appearance, (2) to assess the relationship between an ideal body stereotype internalization and a sociocultural attitudes towards appearance, (3) to analyze the predictor of an ideal body stereotype internalization, (4) to verify if nationality is a significant mediator in the relationship between pressure to conform to the Western ideals exhibited by the media and ideal body stereotype internalization among Polish, Czech and American women. Methods: The research sample consisted of 213 women aged 18-35. We used the Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire 3 [19] and the Ideal-Body Stereotype Scale-Revised [20] Results: American women report higher internalization of general body shape ideal and athletic-ideal internalization, and feel stronger pressure to conform to the Western ideals compared to Polish and Czech women. Polish women report the highest ideal body stereotype internalization. Pressure to conform to the Western ideals is a statistically significant predictor of ideal body stereotype internalization for each group. Moreover, mediation analysis indicates that nationality partially mediates the relationship between pressure to conform to the Western ideals to have a slim figure and ideal body stereotype internalization. Conclusions: Societal and cultural influences on body image are present among Polish, Czech and American women. They considerably determine their efforts in pursuit of an ideal body shape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]