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Self-weighing behavior in individuals with eating disorders
Carly R Pacanowski1,2,3, Emily M Pisetsky1, Kelly C Berg1
1Department of Psychiatry, The University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
The International Journal of Eating Disorders
|May 19, 2016
Summary
Self-weighing frequency correlates with eating disorder (ED) severity, not body mass index (BMI). More frequent weighing in anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder indicates greater pathology.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Clinical Psychology
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Self-weighing is a common behavior among individuals with eating disorders (EDs).
- Understanding the relationship between weighing frequency and ED symptomatology is crucial for treatment.
- Reactions to prescribed weighing can influence patient engagement and outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the frequency of self-weighing across different eating disorder diagnoses.
- To assess patient reactions to prescribed weekly weighing.
- To compare individuals who weigh themselves more or less frequently in terms of body mass index (BMI) and Eating Disorder Examination (EDE) subscales.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of baseline EDE and demographic data from 758 participants across five studies.
- Comparison of weighing frequency with BMI and EDE subscale scores.
Main Results:
- Self-weighing was most frequent in anorexia nervosa (AN), followed by bulimia nervosa (BN) and binge eating disorder (BED).
- Participants generally had moderately negative reactions to prescribed weekly weighing.
- No significant association was found between weighing frequency and BMI.
- More frequent weighing was linked to greater ED severity, including higher restraint, shape concern, weight concern, and global scores in AN and BN, and higher restraint in BED.
Conclusions:
- Weighing frequency is associated with increased eating disorder severity, but not BMI.
- Further research is needed to explore the impact of self-weighing and reactions to its modification in diverse populations.
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