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Religion, body satisfaction and dieting.

Karen Hye-Cheon Kim1

  • 1Department of Health Education and Health Behavior, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 West Markham, #820, Little Rock, AR 72205-7199, USA. khk@uams.edu

Appetite
|March 21, 2006
PubMed
Summary

Religion may offer an alternative source of self-worth, potentially improving body satisfaction and reducing dieting behaviors. However, negative religious aspects can be linked to lower body satisfaction and increased dieting.

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Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Sociology
  • Religious Studies

Background:

  • Western societies often promote thinness, leading to body dissatisfaction and dieting.
  • Religion can be a source of self-worth, potentially counteracting societal pressures on body image.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between religion, body satisfaction, and dieting behaviors.
  • To explore how different aspects of religion (positive and negative) influence body image and eating habits.

Main Methods:

  • Survey data collected from a community sample of 546 individuals.
  • Statistical analyses examined correlations between religious factors, body satisfaction, and dieting.
  • Mediation analysis explored the role of self-esteem and social support.

Main Results:

  • Religion was significantly associated with greater body satisfaction and less dieting.
  • Negative religious aspects, including negative religious coping and congregational social support, were linked to lower body satisfaction and increased dieting.
  • Self-esteem mediated the relationship between negative religious coping and body satisfaction.

Conclusions:

  • Religion can be a protective factor against body dissatisfaction and dieting, particularly when viewed positively.
  • Negative religious experiences or coping mechanisms can exacerbate body image concerns and dieting behaviors.
  • Interventions focusing on positive religious coping may promote better body image and healthier behaviors.

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