Predictor role and emotional profiles focused on 2 objectives, to find out of certain emotional variables play roles in the development of eating disorders, and to gain more knowledge on emotional profiles for both women and men a risk of developing an eating disorder as well as those currently suffering form one.
The following emotional variables were specified: those relative to emotional experience, frequency of negative as well as positive emotions, low self esteem, anxiety, and influence of diet, weight and body shape on the emotional state; negative attitude to emotional expression, alexithymia, negative perception of emotion, manner of controlling negative emotions, inability to identify emotions and express them; the need for control, this variable is not strictly emotional but has emotional components.
This study enrolled 433 female participants, 143 of which suffered from some sort of eating disorder, and 145 were at risk for the development of one. In general results showed that the majority of variables mentioned could be used as predictive of at risk of developing and/or suffering an eating disorder. Variables which go above all that are more alert to greater risk of developing a disorder are when the emotional state of the person is overly influenced by diet, personal appearance such as body shape and weight, low self esteem, when in anxiety situations emotions are not expressed, and tendency to act in impulsive manners. Results have important implications for development of prevention programs with the data obtained.
Eating disorders are a serious widespread illness that can have serious and/or deadly consequences in more than one manners such as socially, physically, and psychologically. Many studies have been conducted to try and find out factors involved in the development of these disorders, the roles played by the various emotional variables at onset has not been looked at very much. More research need to be conducted to focus on this matter on a greater scale for men and women.
