Parental Stress on Children's Appearance, Body Dissatisfaction, and Eating Behaviours in Chinese Children: A Pathway Analysis

A systematic review of weight stigma and disordered eating cognitions and behaviors

Weight stigma is persistent across contexts and is associated with disordered eating cognitions and behaviors. This systematic review aimed to examine the existing literature that has explored the relationship between weight stigma and disordered eating cognitions and behaviors. We specifically examined three dimensions of weight stigma - experienced, anticipated, and internalized - and adopted an inclusive conceptualization of outcomes related to disordered eating (including constructs such as binge eating, body dissatisfaction, and other cognitions and behaviors such as dietary restraint, unhealthy weight control behaviors, and drive for thinness). We searched PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science, Sociological Abstracts, and PsycINFO for English-language, peer-reviewed articles and dissertations with quantitative methodology published through October 2023. The search resulted in 242 articles meeting inclusion criteria. A narrative review found a consistent relationship between greater weight stigma and more disordered eating cognitions and behaviors. Methodological and theoretical limitations are discussed, as are critical avenues for future research and potential clinical implications stemming from this body of research. Given the widespread nature and impact of weight stigma on disordered eating, it is imperative that we intervene to address weight stigma at all levels, from the structural to the intrapersonal.

Body Dissatisfaction and Restricted Diet in Chinese Adolescents: A Longitudinal Analysis

Background/Objective

Body dissatisfaction and restricted diet frequently co-occur among adolescents. However, the exact temporal relationship between the two is unclear. Furthermore, most relevant studies concentrate on Western cultural backgrounds, with only a few investigations conducted in many non-Western developing countries, including China. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the mutual relationship between body dissatisfaction and restricted diet among Chinese adolescents.

Patients/Methods

We recruited a sample of 672 middle school students from China (358 females, mean age = 14.33±0.94) and collected self-reported measures of body dissatisfaction and restricted diet at three-time points (with a five-month interval between each). We used cross-lagged models to examine the bidirectional relationship between body dissatisfaction and restricted diet.

Results

(1) Both cross-sectional and cross-lagged correlation analysis showed positive correlation between body dissatisfaction and restricted diet (r=0.29-0.36; r=0.25-0.35, Ps<0.001); (2) The cross-lagged effect of body dissatisfaction on restricted diet was significant (β=0.09, 0.13, Ps<0.01), and vice versa (β=0.20, 0.18, Ps<0.001); (3) The differences in the associations between body dissatisfaction and restricted diet across gender were found.

Conclusion/Implications

There is a bidirectional relationship between adolescents' body dissatisfaction and restricted diet. Our findings enrich the existing literature on body image and dietary health, thereby contributing to the reduction of negative body image and disordered eating among adolescents.