Body image flexibility and its correlates: A meta-analysis

Linardon, Jake; Anderson, Cleo; Messer, Mariel; Rodgers, Rachel F.; Fuller‐Tyszkiewicz, Matthew

doi:10.1016/j.bodyim.2021.02.005

Cited by 44 publications

(32 citation statements)

References 79 publications

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“…Present findings highlight numerous potentially important targets for eating disorder prevention. As the evidence base for the protective potential of these five factors is small (Linardon, Anderson, et al, 2021;Linardon, Tylka, et al, 2021), incorporating supplementary techniques designed to build one or more of these factors within an established prevention program might be more appropriate than developing an entirely new intervention. Importantly, the strategies that could build these five factors are likely highly compatible with those that already feature in most evidence-based prevention programs that target other risk/protective factors.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Empirical research on these three positive body image components is growing. The bulk of this research is cross sectional, with consistently strong inverse relationships found between them and various measures of eating pathology (Alleva et al, 2017;Linardon, Anderson, Messer, Rodgers, & Fuller-Tyszkiewicz, 2021). There is also preliminary prospective research demonstrating that higher body appreciation levels can predict lower restrictive eating patterns (Andrew, Tiggemann, & Clark, 2016) and that early improvements in body image flexibility during CBT are associated with larger symptom improvement (Pellizzer, Waller, & Wade, 2019).…”

Section: Positive Body Imagementioning

confidence: 92%

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Positive body image, intuitive eating, and self‐compassion protect against the onset of the core symptoms of eating disorders: A prospective study

Linardon

2021

Intl J Eating Disorders

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Objective: Establishing factors that protect against the onset of eating disorder symptoms is needed to identify critical intervention targets to inform the design of more potent prevention programs. Knowledge of robust protective factors is lacking, which might account for the limited effectiveness of existing prevention programs.As positive body image, intuitive eating, and self-compassion show protective potential, the present study tested whether these factors protect against the onset of a range of different eating disorder symptoms. Method: Data were analyzed from 1,270 women who completed study measures at baseline and 8 months. Logistic regressions tested whether, among initially asymptomatic women, baseline and changes in positive body image components (body appreciation, body image flexibility, and functionality appreciation), intuitive eating, and self-compassion predicted the continued absence versus onset of seven core eating disorder symptoms at follow-up. Results: Each of the five factors at baseline was associated with a lower odds of symptom onset for each outcome in univariate analyses. Baseline body appreciation and intuitive eating scores remained consistent, unique predictors of a lower odds of experiencing symptom onset in multivariate models. Greater increases in intuitive eating and body appreciation over time were the two factors consistently associated with a lower odds of symptom onset across several outcomes. Discussion: This study provides strong evidence for the protective influence of positive body image components, intuitive eating, and self-compassion against several eating disorder symptoms. Building these factors within established prevention programs may, in the longer term, help reduce the incidence of eating disorder syndromes and symptoms.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Positive Body Imagementioning

confidence: 92%

Positive body image, intuitive eating, and self‐compassion protect against the onset of the core symptoms of eating disorders: A prospective study

Linardon

2021

Intl J Eating Disorders

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“…Hence, an increased body image flexibility may protect against developing EDs. Body image flexibility is associated with numerous psychological outcomes related to well-being and psychopathology ( Linardon et al, 2021 ). However, most studies are cross-sectional and do not investigate the causal relationship.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Evidence suggests that interventions aiming to prevent eating disorders (EDs) should target established risk and protective factors for ED development such as internalization of appearance ideals, perceived appearance pressure, self-esteem, and peer environment and positive emotion coping strategies, such as body image flexibility ( Watson et al, 2016 ; Le et al, 2017 ; Rogers et al, 2018 ; Stice and van Ryzin, 2019 ; Linardon et al, 2021 ). The reviews also highlight that targeting media literacy using interactive education, challenging cognitive dissonance with multiple sessions, seems to be effective in universal ED prevention in adolescents ( Stice et al, 2008 , 2013 ; Yager et al, 2013 ; Le et al, 2017 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Healthy Body Image Intervention and Reduction in Eating Disorder Symptomatology and Muscle Building Supplement Use in High School Students: A Study of Mediating Factors

et al. 2022

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BackgroundMediation analysis is important to test the theoretical framework underpinning an intervention. We therefore aimed to investigate if the healthy body image (HBI) intervention’s effect on eating disorder (ED) symptomatology and use of muscle building supplements was mediated by the change in risk and protective factors for ED development and muscle building supplement use.MethodsThis study used data from the HBI intervention: a cluster randomized controlled universal intervention aiming to promote positive body image and embodiment and reduce the risk for ED development including 30 schools in Norway. A total of 1,713 (37% boys) participants were included in the analyses. Conditional latent growth curve analyses were performed to test for indirect effects on ED symptomatology and weekly frequency of protein and creatine supplement use measured at the 12-month follow-up via change in the proposed mediators.ResultsIn girls, the reduction in ED symptomatology was mediated by positive changes in protective factors (self-esteem and body image flexibility) and reductions in risk factor scores (perceived media pressure and thin appearance internalization). Comparable changes in protective and risk factors among boys played no mediating role.ConclusionInterventions aiming to reduce the risk of ED development in girls may benefit from aiming to enhance self-esteem and body image flexibility and reduce perceived media pressure and thin appearance internalization. Future studies should investigate the casual relationship between muscle building supplement use and risk and protective factors for ED development in both girls and boys.

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“…In addition, how flexibly individuals respond to their own cognitive and affective states related to body shape (i.e. body-image psychological flexibility [ 7 , 8 ]) seems to play a relevant role too. Being open to experiencing unpleasant thoughts and emotions about one’s body size in a detached way, without attempting to control them, limits how aversively these thoughts and emotions are experienced and the degree of control they exert over eating behavior [ 9 , 10 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Testing the discrepancy between actual and ideal body image with the Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure (IRAP)

et al. 2021

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Background The discrepancy between actual and ideal body image is considered an index of body dissatisfaction and a risk factor for eating disorders. While discrepancy has been traditionally tested with figural drawing rating scales, in recent times the use of implicit measures has been explored. Methods This study employs the Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure (IRAP) to examine actual-ideal body-size discrepancy in a sample of 130 Spanish college students, as well as its utility to predict symptoms of eating disorders and other body-image relevant measures. Participants completed the Contour Drawing Rating Scale (CDRS). The three smallest and the three largest contour drawings of the CDRS were used as target stimuli in two different IRAP tasks: one in combination with the sample phrases “I am” and “I am not” (that assessed implicit actual body image), another in combination with the phrases “I want to be” and “I don’t want to be” (that assessed implicit ideal body image). After completing both IRAP tasks, participants completed explicit measures of body-image psychological inflexibility, body dissatisfaction, and symptoms of eating disorders. Results Results showed a small implicit bias towards thinness. Participants were faster in affirming than denying that they are thin and that they desire to be thin. They were also faster in affirming than denying that they are fat and that they want to be fat, but to a smaller extent than with thinness. Specifically, the implicit desire to be (or not be) fat emerged as an independent predictor of eating disorder symptoms, psychological inflexibility, and body dissatisfaction that significantly increased the predictive power of CDRS scores. Conclusions These findings underscore the need for further research on specific body image implicit beliefs towards fatness, both in subclinical and clinical populations, in order to examine whether willingness to accept the idea that one can have a larger body size can be a suitable target for prevention and intervention in eating disorders.

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Body image flexibility and its correlates: A meta-analysis

Cited by 44 publications

References 79 publications

Positive body image, intuitive eating, and self‐compassion protect against the onset of the core symptoms of eating disorders: A prospective study

Positive body image, intuitive eating, and self‐compassion protect against the onset of the core symptoms of eating disorders: A prospective study

The Healthy Body Image Intervention and Reduction in Eating Disorder Symptomatology and Muscle Building Supplement Use in High School Students: A Study of Mediating Factors

Testing the discrepancy between actual and ideal body image with the Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure (IRAP)

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