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A Computer-Based Platform for Aiding Clinicians in Eating Disorder Analysis and Diagnosis

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Social Comparison and Its Association With Disordered Eating Symptoms: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Fidan Turk¹, Aysesu Bozdogan², Rachel Hughes³

¹Department of Psychology, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK.

The International Journal of Eating Disorders

|February 19, 2026

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Social comparison is linked to disordered eating symptoms. This meta-analysis confirms a medium effect size and identifies factors influencing this relationship, aiding future interventions.

Keywords:

disordered eating eating disorders meta‐analysis multi‐level analysis social comparison

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Area of Science:

Psychology
Public Health
Behavioral Science

Background:

Social comparison is a known factor in body dissatisfaction and eating disorders.
The precise magnitude and influencing factors of this relationship require further clarification.

Purpose of the Study:

To systematically review and meta-analyze the association between social comparison and disordered eating symptoms.
To identify key moderators influencing the strength of this relationship.

Main Methods:

A systematic literature review and multi-level meta-analysis were conducted.
305 studies with 126,702 participants were included after extensive database searches.
Methodological quality and moderator analyses were performed.

Main Results:

A significant medium effect size (Zr = 0.43) was found for the association between social comparison and disordered eating symptoms.
Heterogeneity was observed across studies.
Effect sizes were larger in more recent studies, samples with more females, upward/eating-related comparisons, and specific measures (BEECOM, BSQ).

Conclusions:

The findings provide robust evidence for the link between social comparison and disordered eating.
Results inform theoretical models and the development of prevention strategies for eating disorders.