The Moderating Effect of Focused Eating Between Body Dysmorphic Concerns and Eating Attitudes in Lebanese Dietitians

Body dysmorphic concerns are associated with unhealthy eating attitudes, but the role of focused eating in this relationship remains unclear. Given the rising prevalence of body image issues among young dietitians, it is essential to explore psychological factors that may help reduce disordered eating behaviors. This study aims to examine the moderating effect of focused eating on the association between body dysmorphic concerns and inappropriate eating attitudes among Lebanese dietitians.

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 215 Lebanese dietitians using a self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire included the Arabic validated versions of the Mindful-Eating Behaviors Scale (MEBS), the Dysmorphic Concerns Questionnaire (DCQ), and the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-7). Moderation analysis was performed using the PROCESS MACRO v3.4 in SPSS, with adjustments for potential confounders such as body mass index, marital status, and employment status.

The findings revealed that focused eating moderated the relationship between body dysmorphic concerns and inappropriate eating attitudes (β = -0.03, t = -2.10, p = 0.037, 95% CI [-0.05, -0.002]). Higher body dysmorphic concerns were significantly associated with greater inappropriate eating attitudes at low levels (β = 0.32, p < 0.001) and moderate levels (β = 0.21, p < 0.001) of focused eating.

These findings suggest that, within this sample of predominantly female young Lebanese dietitians, focused eating was associated with a weaker relationship between body dysmorphic concerns and inappropriate eating attitudes. Given the sampling approach and cross-sectional design, these findings should be interpreted cautiously and cannot be generalized to all dietitians. Further longitudinal and interventional studies are needed before translating these findings into broader educational or healthcare initiatives.