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Beliefs about eating and eating disorders
G Terence Wilson1, Nancy A Perrin, Francine Rosselli
1Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854-8020, United States. tewilson@rci.rutgers.edu
Eating Behaviors
|August 12, 2009
Summary
Many people view binge eating as treatable, but self-identified binge eaters are less likely to believe effective treatments exist. Beliefs about food addiction and strict dieting also impact treatment seeking for eating disorders.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Eating Disorders
- Public Health
Background:
- Beliefs regarding food and binge eating significantly influence eating disorder development and treatment seeking.
- Understanding public perceptions is crucial for effective intervention strategies in eating disorders.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate general population beliefs about binge eating and its treatability.
- To compare beliefs between self-reported binge eaters and the general population.
- To examine attitudes towards food addiction and dieting as treatment methods.
Main Methods:
- A random sample of health maintenance organization members participated.
- Surveys assessed beliefs about binge eating, treatment effectiveness, food addiction, and dieting.
Main Results:
- A majority of the sample believed binge eating is a treatable problem.
- Self-reported binge eaters were less likely to agree that effective treatments exist.
- Two-thirds believed certain foods are addictive and strict dieting effectively reduces binge eating.
Conclusions:
- Discrepancies in perceived treatment availability exist between the general population and binge eaters.
- Widespread beliefs in food addiction and strict dieting may impede effective eating disorder treatment seeking.
- Therapeutic strategies should address these specific attitudes to improve engagement with evidence-based interventions.
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