Imagine food, weight and shape: mental imagery in women with eating disorders compared with healthy controls

Research into mental disorders has found mental imagery to be a maintaining factor for psychological distress. However, studies investigating mental imagery in eating disorders are scarce.

The aim of the present study was to compare spontaneous mental imagery related to eating, weight and/or appearance and intrusive prospective imagery in women with an eating disorder with female healthy controls.

Spontaneous mental imagery and intrusive prospective imagery were assessed in adult women with an eating disorder (n = 29) and in female healthy controls (n = 32) using a semi-structured interview and the Impact of Future Events Scale, respectively.

In comparison with healthy controls, the spontaneous mental images in individuals with an eating disorder involved more sensory modalities (U = 156.50, p < .001, r = -.51), were more vivid (t (52) = 2.04, p = .047, d = .55), negative (U = 103.00, p < .001, r = -.62), and anxiety provoking (U = 158.50, p < .001, r = -.49), and were experienced with a lower sense of control (U = 215.00, p = .009, r = -.36). The emotional impact of intrusive prospective imagery (U = 105.00, p < .001, r = -.66) was also higher in individuals with an eating disorder, as was the number of negative prospective images (U = 283.00, p = .016, r = -.31).

Our findings are consistent with previous research on mental imagery in other psychiatric disorders, and provide possibilities for incorporating imagery-based techniques in treatment interventions.