Objectification processes and disordered eating in British women and men

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Sociology
• Public Health

Background:

• Objectification Theory provides a framework for understanding how societal objectification impacts individuals.
• Disordered eating is a significant public health concern with complex sociocultural influences.

Purpose of the Study:

• To extend the applicability of Objectification Theory in predicting disordered eating behaviors.
• To examine the roles of self-objectification, body surveillance, and body shame in disordered eating among British women and men.

Main Methods:

• Participants completed validated self-report measures assessing self-objectification, body surveillance, body shame, and disordered eating.
• Path analyses were utilized to test the proposed theoretical model.

Main Results:

• In women, body shame fully mediated the relationship between self-objectification and disordered eating.
• In men, body shame increased with lower self-objectification, and disordered eating was directly predicted by higher self-objectification.

Conclusions:

• Objectification Theory is a valuable framework for understanding disordered eating in both British women and men.
• Findings highlight sociocultural factors contributing to disordered eating and suggest potential targets for intervention.