Religiousness and disordered eating: does religiousness modify family risk?

The Role of Religion, Spirituality and Social Media in the Journey of Eating Disorders: A Qualitative Exploration of Participants in the "TastelifeUK" Eating Disorder Recovery Programme

This study explores the religious and spiritual aspects of eating disorder recovery and the role of social media in the context of a third sector community-based recovery group in the UK. Four online focus groups explored participant perspectives (17 participants in total) using thematic analysis. The qualitative findings highlight that relational support from God is important in eating disorder recovery and coping, although this can be challenged by spiritual struggles and tensions. Relational support from people is also relevant where it offers a place to share different experiences together giving a sense of community belonging. Social media was also found to be important in relation to eating disorders, either providing a community of support or exacerbating existing issues. This study suggests that the role of religion and social media should be acknowledged where it is important for that individual in relation to eating disorder recovery.

Eat, pray, love: disordered eating in religious and non-religious men and women

BACKGROUND

Despite the lack of research examining the relation between religiosity and disordered eating, at various points during the year, religious practices requiring changes in eating habits are typical. Few studies have identified how aspects of religiosity are associated with disordered eating attitudes and behaviours. Thus, we explored the interconnectedness of religiosity and gender on disordered eating attitudes and behaviours.

METHODS

In total, 749 religious and non-religious participants completed online questionnaires assessing components of disordered eating and associated appearance-related pressures and internalizations (pressure from family, peers, and media, and internalization of the thin and muscular ideals).

RESULTS

Among the 317 participants who identified as religious, 12.30% reported that their religious practice required a change in their eating habits, and 10.68% reported that they changed their eating habits for both religious purposes and as a method of weight loss/control. Overall, religious participants who indicated changing their eating habits for religious purposes experienced greater disordered eating and appearance-related pressures than theists who reported no change in their diet and non-religious respondents. Further, there was a significant interaction between gender and religiosity across the disordered eating variables. Results indicated that, compared to males who were not religious, those who were religious had higher scores on scales measuring disordered eating. Religious and non-religious women scored similarly on scales measuring other aspects of disordered eating (including Purging, Restricting, and Binge Eating). Further, compared to non-religious men, religious men, reported greater pressure from their family and peers; there was no difference in women.

CONCLUSIONS

Future research should further explore gender differences across types and specific aspects of religiosity such as motivation to practice.

Potential Risk and Protective Factors for Eating Disorders in Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) Jewish Women

Little is known scientifically about eating disorders (EDs) in the Haredi (Jewish ultra-Orthodox) community. This paper aims to describe Haredi culture, review available peer-reviewed research on EDs in the Haredi community and discuss possible risk and protective factors for these disorders in a culturally informed way. A literature search for 2009-2019 yielded 180 references of which only nine were studies on ED in the Haredi community. We describe these and use them as a basis for discussion of possible risk and protective factors for ED in Haredi women. Risk factors may include the centrality of food, poverty, rigid dress codes, the importance of thinness for dating and marriage, high demands from women, selflessness and early marriage and high expectations from women. Protective factors may include faith, Jewish laws governing eating and food that encourage gratitude and mindful eating, and body covering as part of modesty laws that discourage objectification. Ways of overcoming the current barriers to research in the Haredi community should be sought to advance ED prevention and treatment in this population.

Spirituality and eating disorder risk factors in African American women

PURPOSE

The increased prevalence of body dissatisfaction and eating disordered behaviors (EDBs) among African American women warrants further examination of critical factors that may contribute to this recent trend. This study sought to investigate whether ethnic identification, spirituality, and internalization of the thin ideal would be associated with decreased body dissatisfaction and EDBs.

METHOD

A convenience sample of 55 African American college women was recruited from a college campus. The Eating Attitudes Test, Eating Disorders Inventory, Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure, Sociocultural Attitudes toward Appearance Questionnaire, Life Regard Index-R, and Spiritual Transcendence Index were administered.

RESULTS

Body dissatisfaction and internalization of the thin ideal were positively associated with EDBs. Higher scores on meaning in life were negatively associated with body dissatisfaction. Spiritual transcendence and internalization of the thin ideal were positively associated with body dissatisfaction. Spiritual transcendence was positively associated with meaning in life.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings highlight the importance of exploring spirituality and ethnic identification in efforts to understand the relationships among the internalization of a thin ideal, body dissatisfaction, and EDBs in African American women.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level V, Evidence obtained from a cross-sectional descriptive study.

Thin Media Images Decrease Women's Body Satisfaction: Comparisons Between Veiled Muslim Women, Christian Women and Atheist Women Regarding Trait and State Body Image

Research in diverse populations has often found that thin media images negatively affect women’s state body image, with many women reporting lower body satisfaction after exposure to pictures of thin models than before exposure. However, there is evidence that theistic affirmations might buffer against the negative effect of media on body image. Furthermore, religiosity and the Islamic body covering are discussed as protective factors against a negative trait body image. However, there is no experimental research on veiled Muslim women’s state body image. Therefore, the current study experimentally investigated whether the body satisfaction of veiled Muslim women (n = 66) decreased after exposure to thin media images compared to pictures of furniture as a control condition. Christian women (n = 90) and atheist women (n = 74) were included as control groups, and participants were randomly assigned to the two conditions. Prior to the experimental session, participants’ trait body image was assessed using an online questionnaire comprising questions about body satisfaction, thin-ideal internalization, pressure to be thin, and physical appearance comparisons. It was found that veiled Muslim women had a more positive trait body image than did Christian women and atheist women. Accordingly, veiled Muslim women reported lower levels of thin-ideal internalization, pressure to be thin, and physical appearance comparisons than did Christian women and atheist women. The experimental findings showed that body satisfaction decreased in the experimental condition and not in the control condition, but no significant differences in pre-post changes emerged between the three groups. As the pre-post changes in body satisfaction did not differ between the three groups, veiling might not buffer against the negative effect of thin media images on state body image. Nevertheless, given the more positive trait body image of veiled Muslim women compared to Christian and atheist women, veiling might positively influence body image in the longer term. However, as additional analyses including unveiled Muslim women did not reveal differences between veiled and unveiled Muslim women, future studies should test the assumption that affiliation to Islam might be more decisive for a positive trait body image than veiling.

Extrinsic Religious Orientation and Disordered Eating Pathology Among Modern Orthodox Israeli Adolescents: The Mediating Role of Adherence to the Superwoman Ideal and Body Dissatisfaction

The role of religious and spiritual factors has been recognized with regard to risk factors for disordered eating pathology (DEP). Specifically, religious orientation, or underlying religious motivation, has been associated with DEP among a variety of religious groups. Extrinsic religious orientation has consistently been found to be associated with increased levels of DEP among Christians and Jews in the USA. However, this paradigm has not been investigated cross-culturally. The current study is the first to examine the association of extrinsic religious orientation and DEP among Modern Orthodox Israeli adolescents. Furthermore, the mediating mechanisms of adherence to the Superwoman Ideal and body dissatisfaction are explored to further elucidate the mechanisms generating the association between religious orientation and DEP. A sample of 120 Modern Orthodox Israeli adolescent females participated in an anonymous survey which asked about DEP, body dissatisfaction, adherence to the Superwoman Ideal and religious orientation. Mediation models revealed a significant association between extrinsic religious orientation and DEP. Furthermore, adherence to the Superwoman Ideal and body dissatisfaction serially mediated the association between religious orientation and DEP. Findings suggest that a pathway through which extrinsic orientation influences DEP is through greater adherence to the Superwoman Ideal which leads to higher levels of body dissatisfaction, which is known to be a proximal risk factor for DEP. This finding is discussed in light of specific cultural pressures within the Modern Orthodox population and related clinical implications.

Investigating Vulnerability for Developing Eating Disorders in a Multi-confessional Population

The present study aimed to examine the vulnerability to eating disorders (ED) among 949 Lebanese female young adults as well as its association with stress, anxiety, depression, body image dissatisfaction (BID), dysfunctional eating, body mass index, religious affiliation (Christian, Muslim, Druze or Other), religiosity and activity level. Results showed that anxiety had the greatest effect on increasing the predisposition to ED, followed by stress level, BID, depression and restrained eating. Affiliating as Christian was found to significantly decrease the vulnerability to developing an ED. Furthermore, the interaction of anxiety with intrinsic religiosity was found to have a protective role on reducing ED. The current study emphasized a buffering role of intrinsic religiosity against anxiety and ED vulnerability.

My Body is a Temple: Eating Disturbances, Religious Involvement, and Mental Health Among Young Adult Women

A growing body of the literature outlines the undesirable mental health consequences of eating disturbances. However, little attention has been given to the possible mitigating effects of cultural institutions, such as religion, in the lives of women suffering from such pathologies. Our work contributes to the literature by (a) outlining a series of arguments linking eating disturbances, religion, and mental health; (b) specifying two conceptual models of these relationships; and (c) testing relevant hypotheses using data on a large nationwide sample of young women. Results indicate that religious involvement-organizational, non-organizational, and subjective religiousness-moderates the effects of eating disturbances on mental health, particularly for self-esteem. Study limitations are identified and several promising directions for future research are discussed.

Religiosity, spirituality in relation to disordered eating and body image concerns: A systematic review

OBJECTIVE

This systematic review aims to critically examine the existing literature that has reported on the links between aspects of religiosity, spirituality and disordered eating, psychopathology and body image concerns.

METHOD

A systematic search of online databases (PsycINFO, Medline, Embase and Web of Science) was conducted in December 2014. A search protocol was designed to identify relevant articles that quantitatively explored the relationship between various aspects of religiosity and/or spirituality and disordered eating, psychopathology and/or body image concerns in non-clinical samples of women and men.

RESULTS

Twenty-two studies were identified to have matched the inclusion criteria. Overall, the main findings to emerge were that strong and internalised religious beliefs coupled with having a secure and satisfying relationship with God were associated with lower levels of disordered eating, psychopathology and body image concern. Conversely, a superficial faith coupled with a doubtful and anxious relationship with God were associated with greater levels of disordered eating, psychopathology and body image concern.

DISCUSSION

While the studies reviewed have a number of evident limitations in design and methodology, there is sufficient evidence to make this avenue of enquiry worth pursuing. It is hoped that the direction provided by this review will lead to further investigation into the protective benefits of religiosity and spirituality in the development of a clinical eating disorder. Thus a stronger evidence base can then be utilised in developing community awareness and programs which reduce the risk.

Eating disorders and spirituality in college students

Associations were examined between eating disorder symptoms and spiritual well-being in a convenience sample of college students. Undergraduate nursing students at a university in a Mid-Atlantic coastal beach community were recruited for the study. A total of 115 students completed the Spiritual Well-Being Scale (SWBS); the Sick, Control, One Stone, Fat, Food (SCOFF) screening questionnaire; and the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26). Approximately one quarter of students had positive screens for an eating disorder, and 40% admitted to binging/purging. SWBS scores reflected low life satisfaction and a lack of clarity and purpose among students. A significant association was found between EAT-26 scores and SWBS Existential Well-Being (EWB) sub-scale scores (p = 0.014). SCOFF scores were significantly associated with SWBS EWB scores (p = 0.001). Symptoms of eating disorders were pervasive. Future research that assesses the impact of spiritual factors on eating disorders may help health care providers better understand the unique contributions to the development of eating disorders. [Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 53(1), 30-37.].

The protective role of attachment to God against eating disorder risk factors: concurrent and prospective evidence

This short-term longitudinal study explored whether a secure relationship with God would protect young women (N = 231, M = 19.2) from the impact of four risk factors for eating disturbance: pressure to be thin; thin-ideal internalization, body dissatisfaction; and dieting. Analyses showed that women with secure attachment to God experienced reduced levels of each risk factor. Prospective data showed that pressure to be thin and thin-ideal internalization predicted body dissatisfaction only for women with an anxious insecure attachment to God. The data indicate that women who feel loved and accepted by God are buffered from eating disorder risk factors.